Business: Rural Areas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 on the Rural Development Programme for Business Support Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of those years.

Dan Norris: The information requested is detailed in the following table(1):
	(1)( )These figures relate to activity supported under Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) business support measures as defined under Solutions for Business. RDPE is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicly funded business support designed to help companies start and grow.
	
		
			   Spend (£ million)  Number of businesses supported 
			 2007-08 13 4,555 
			 2008-09 12.5 8,058

Commission for Rural Communities: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much grant in aid was provided by his Department to the Commission for Rural Communities in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: The grant in aid provided by DEFRA to the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) in each of the last three financial years was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Revenue  Capitalised  Total grant-in-aid 
			 2008-09 6,734,000 5,000 6,739,000 
			 2007-08 8,902,000 7,000 8,909,000 
			 2006-07 8,511,000 88,000 8,599,000 
			  Source:  CRC Annual Report 2008-09 and CRC Annual Report 2007-08.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the measures in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 on  (a) the prevalence of pit bull terriers and similar breeds and  (b) trends in the number of attacks on humans by dogs in the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No assessment has been made of the effect of the measures in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 on the prevalence of pit bull terriers and similar breeds and trends in the number of attacks on humans by dogs in the last 10 years. However, following a spate of high profile dog attacks in 2007, DEFRA consulted police forces for their views on the current dangerous dog legislation. Responses indicated that more guidance should be made available to the police. In April of this year, DEFRA made available additional guidance on the law. We also provided the Association of Chief of Police Officers £20,000 towards the training of specialist dog legislation officers.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Dan Norris: From information held centrally, and from April 2006 to 20 October 2009, expenditure on accommodation for officials while overseas is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 20,938 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 90,530 
			 April 2008 to March 2009 92,715 
			 April 2009 to 20 October 2009 48,571 
		
	
	Information on expenditure on overnight accommodation for Ministers is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively. The Cabinet Office produces an annual list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July and can be viewed at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

Flood Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much each local authority was allocated for flood defence maintenance and upgrading in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
	Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of what proportion of this is spent on flood defence maintenance and upgrading as this is at the discretion of the local authorities, and information is not supplied in local authority outturns.
	
		
			  Table 1: Funding allocated to local authorities 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			  £ million 
			   Direct Funding to LAs  LA Expenditure( 1)  Capital Grant and SCE(R)( 2)  to LAs and IDBs( 3)  Funding to EA for LAs and IDBs( 2)  Capital Grant to LAs for coastal protection  Total 
			 1996-97 205.2 — — — — 205.2 
			 1997 98 223.3 — — — — 223.3 
			 1998-99 233.2 — — — — 233.2 
			 1999-2000 246.6 — — — — 246.6 
			 2000-01 262.7 — — — — 262.7 
			 2001-02 281.4 — — — — 281.4 
			 2002-03 299.4 — — — — 299.4 
			 2003-04 322.0 — — — — 322.0 
			 2004-05 — 80.3 46.9 — — 127.2 
			 2005-06 — 84.4 79.5 — — 163.9 
			 2006-07 — 84.5 — 12.7 65.7 162.9 
			 2007-08 — 86.0 — 21.2 49.0 156.2 
			 (1) Local authority expenditure is funded from a number of sources including central government grant, council tax and reserves. The primary source is Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). More information is available from the CLG website, including the page on the revenue support grant settlements. (2) Between 2004 and 2006 local authority projects were funded through a mix of direct capital grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)). SCE(R) counted against DEFRA's Departmental Expenditure Limit for the year in which it was approved and supported local authority expenditure in that year. However, the funding resulting from SCE(R) was actually provided to the local authority over several years through Revenue Support Grant from the Department of Communities and Local Government. From 2006-07 onwards the mixture of grant and SCE(R) was replaced by a direct DEFRA grant. (3) We are unable to split this funding further into the level of funding which went to local authorities and that which went to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs).

Flood Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated to each local authority for flood defences in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Over the last decade the level of investment in flood defences has increased. In the 2010-11 financial year, a total of £780,000,000 is expected to be spent nationally, in comparison with £600,400,000 in 2007-08, and £310,000,000 in 1997-98.
	Table 1 shows the breakdown of funding allocated to all local authorities from 1996-97 to 2007-08 for flood defences. It is not possible to provide details of funding to each local authority individually.
	Local authority allocation is much higher in 2003-04 and previous years because during this time the Environment Agency was largely funded through levies on local authorities, with DEFRA part-funding capital improvement projects and national initiatives such as public awareness campaigns and Catchment Flood Management Plans. Although local authorities still pay levies to the Environment Agency, this form of funding has largely been replaced by direct funding to the Environment Agency from DEFRA, through grant in aid which has increased from £358,600,00 in 2004-05 to £435,900,000 in 2007-08.
	
		
			  Table 1: Funding allocated to local authorities 1996-97 to 2007-08 
			  £ million 
			   Direct funding to LAs  LA expenditure( 1)  Capital Grant and SCE(R)( 2)  to LAs and IDBs( 3)  Funding to EA for LAs and IDBs( 2)  Capital Grant to LAs for coastal protection  Total 
			 1996-97 205.2 — — — — 205.2 
			 1997-98 223.3 — — — — 223.3 
			 1998-99 233.2 — — — — 233.2 
			 1999-2000 246.6 — — — — 246.6 
			 2000-01 262.7 — — — — 262.7 
			 2001-02 281.4 — — — — 281.4 
			 2002-03 299.4 — — — — 299.4 
			 2003-04 322.0 — — — — 322.0 
			 2004-05 — 80.3 46.9 — — 127.2 
			 2005-06 — 84.4 79.5 — — 163.9 
			 2006-07 — 84.5 — 12.7 65.7 162.9 
			 2007-08 — 86.0 — 21.2 49.0 156.2 
			 1 Local authority expenditure is funded from a number of sources including central Government grant, council tax and reserves. The primary source is Revenue Support Grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). More information is available from the CLG website, including the page on the revenue support grant settlements. (2) Between 2004 and 2006 local authority projects were funded through a mix of direct capital grant and Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue) (SCE(R)). SCE(R) counted against DEFRA's Departmental Expenditure Limit for the year in which it was approved and supported local authority expenditure in that year. However, the funding resulting from SCE(R) was actually provided to the local authority over several years through Revenue Support Grant from CLG. From 2006-07 onwards the mixture of grant and SCE(R) was replaced by a direct DEFRA grant. 3 We are unable to split this funding further into the level of funding which went to local authorities and that which went to Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs).

Floods: West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government have provided towards the maintenance and upgrading of flood defences in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Herefordshire and  (c) Worcestershire in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: In total, the Environment Agency Midlands Region has spent £114,260,000 designing and constructing new defences and maintaining existing ones in the West Midlands. Excluding Herefordshire and Worcestershire, £88,930,000 has been spent.
	Major capital schemes at Burton, Cannock, Cheltenham and Kidderminster have reduced flood risk for 8,174 properties in the West Midlands. Significant additional funds have been provided to improve flood modelling, forecasting, warning and incident response.
	In Herefordshire, £7,000,000 has been spent on a new flood defence scheme in Hereford and £6.1 million on maintaining existing flood defences. Expenditure in the area totals £13,100,000 in the last five years.
	In Worcestershire, £2,660,000 has been spent completing the Bewdley defences and £870,000 on new defences at North Littleton. An estimated £8,700,000 has been spent maintaining flood defences, with total expenditure amounting to £12,230,000 over the last five years.

Floods: West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take to prevent wide scale flooding in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Herefordshire and  (c) Worcestershire.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has identified projects to reduce the risk of flooding for 11,109 houses in the West Midlands between 2010 and 2020. Excluding planned schemes in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, flood risk reduction is planned for 10,854 houses.
	There will also be continued investment to improve flood modelling, mapping, forecasting and warning. The development and testing of flood response plans will also continue in partnership with local authorities and emergency services.
	In Herefordshire, £150,000 has been identified to raise existing defences at Hampton Bishop. This is in addition to the £1,240,000 maintenance work identified for this year and £990,000 maintenance work identified for 2010-11.
	In Worcestershire, £2,400,000 has been identified to protect 34 houses in Upton upon Severn in 2010-11. £1,000,000 (plus a contribution from Local Levy funding) has been identified to address problems in Childswickham and Wickhamford to protect 50 houses on the Badsy Brook. In Bewdley, £400,000 has been identified to protect 100 houses at the Quayside and in Worcester £100,000 has been identified to reduce flood risk to 71 houses on the Barbourne Brook.

Lighting: EU Law

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Wells of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 48-49W, on lighting, what the title is of the implementing measure agreed by EU member state experts in December 2008; if he will place in the Library a copy of the measure adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council; what steps have been taken to implement the measure in UK law; and if he will make a statement.

Dan Norris: EC Regulation 244/2009 implementing Directive 2005/32/EC with regard to ecodesign requirements for non-directional household lamps entered into force in April 2009. A copy will be placed in the Library.
	As an EC regulation it required no transposition into UK law. Enforcement of this regulation lies within the responsibility of the Secretary of State in accordance with the Ecodesign for Energy-Using Products (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009 No. 2560).

Prostitution

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) arrested,  (b) prosecuted and  (c) convicted on charges related to vice in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 gives the number of persons arrested for vice-related offences for the calendar years 2007-09 (to date). Table 2 documents the number prosecuted and number subsequently convicted for the calendar years 2004-06 (the latest available year).
	It is not possible to reconcile arrest data directly with prosecution and conviction data, as PSNI arrest data denote the offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect is subsequently proceeded against.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons arrested for vice-related offences 2007-09 (to date) 
			   Number of persons arrested 
			 2007 8 
			 2008 13 
			 2009 9 
			  Note: Arrests relate to the offences 'brothel keeping', 'causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography', 'trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation' and 'controlling prostitution for gain'.  Source: PSNI 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number prosecuted and convicted for vice-related offences 2004-06 
			   Prosecutions  Convictions 
			 2004(1) 2 2 
			 2005(2) 3 3 
			 2006 0 0 
			 (1) One prosecution was for die offence 'brothel keeping' and one for prostitute-soliciting'. (2) All three prosecutions were for the offence of 'brothel keeping'.  Note: Prosecutions and convictions are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.  Source: NIO

Departmental Travel

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how much her Office spent on  (a) car hire,  (b) train travel,  (c) air travel,  (d) hotels and  (e) restaurant meals for (i) Ministers and (ii) staff in her Office since its inception.

Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office was created on 12 October 2007. Since then, the following totals have been incurred on travel related expenditure:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Ministers  GEO staff 
			  2007-08 (12 October 2007-31 March 2008)   
			 Car hire 6,343 — 
			 Train travel — 1,768 
			 Eurostar — 167 
			 Air travel — 5,785 
			 Hotels/meals(1) — 4,817 
			 Total 6,343 12,537 
			
			  2008-09   
			 Car hire 97,241 53 
			 Train travel 546 20,189 
			 Eurostar 453 4,939 
			 Air travel 378 18,292 
			 Hotels/meals(1) 900 7,334 
			 Total 99,518 50,807 
			
			  2009-10( 1)   
			 Car hire 2,710 456 
			 Train travel — 8,617 
			 Eurostar — 2,522 
			 Air travel 6,945 6,976 
			 Hotels/meals(1) 910 4,329 
			 Total 10,565 22,900 
			 (1) We are unable to separate the figures for hotel charges, meals and incidentals as these are accounted for collectively using the Department's on-line travel and subsistence claiming system or via a government procurement (Visa) card.  Note: Figures current to 31 August 2009.

Contracts: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many contracts related to the London 2012 Olympics have been awarded to businesses and organisation in  (a) St Albans constituency and  (b) Hertfordshire; and what the monetary value of such contracts is.

Tessa Jowell: To the end of September 2009, 32 suppliers registered in Hertfordshire had been awarded contracts by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), five of these businesses were registered in St. Albans. The total spend to date for these contracts stands at £54,225,666.
	These figures do not include those contracts awarded to sub-contractors based in Hertfordshire. Many other companies will have won work from 2012 projects further down the supply chain. The ODA has this month produced a map showing how companies across the UK are helping to deliver the games, details of which are available on the London 2012 website.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the reasons are for the increase in the estimated cost to the public purse of hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games between  (a) March 2007 and  (b) July 2009.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 6 July 2009
	The forecast final cost of the programme remains within the £9.325 billion budget announced in March 2007.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the contribution from the Exchequer to the costs of the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Chapter 20 of the comprehensive spending review (CSR) White Paper, published on 9 October 2007, announced total grant in aid (within the £9.325 billion) from Government of £1,559/£1,104/£1,050 million in 2008-09 to 2010-11. The distribution of the remaining Government contribution (within the £9.325 billion) for 2011-12 to 2013-14 will be confirmed in subsequent spending reviews. The balance of the funding requirement will be met, as announced in March 2007, by contributions from the Mayor of London (GLA and LDA); and from the Lottery.
	Details of progress across the Olympic programme, and sources of funding, can be found in the July 2009 Quarterly Economic Report on the games. The next Quarterly Economic Report on the games will be published later this month.

Olympic Games 2012: Land

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the land acquisition and disturbance compensation costs incurred by the London Development Agency on the Olympic Park.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The latest London Development Agency (LDA) land commitments budget was discussed by the LDA Board on 16 September 2009. I am arranging for copies of the minutes of that meeting to be deposited in the House Libraries. The minutes can also be found on the LDA website:
	http://www.lda.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Public_Item_02_1_ Olympic_Land_commitments_ and_revised_budget_2009_10.pdf
	The funding for LDA Olympic land commitments is not part of the £9.325 billion public sector funding package for the games but has always been self-funded expenditure.

Inbound Tourists

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of inbound tourists in the latest period for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: In the three months to August 2009 (the latest period for which figures are available), there were 7.7 million visits to the UK, an increase of 3 per cent. when compared with the previous three months, and a decrease of 5 per cent. when compared with the three months to August 2008.
	Expenditure by overseas visitors in the three months to August 2009 was £4.1 billion which increased by 1 per cent. when compared with the previous three months and increased by 2 per cent. when compared with the three months to August 2008.

Arts: Finance

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps he is taking to maintain levels of funding for the arts during the recession.

Margaret Hodge: Government continue to provide strong financial support to the arts throughout the recession. It is investing nearly £450 million in the arts this year through Arts Council England. This represents a real-terms increase of 83 per cent. since 1997. This will rise to £463 million in 2010-11.
	Arts Council England have made a swift and innovative response to the economic situation by introducing the sustain scheme. This is providing an additional £40 million to enable arts organisations to continue to provide high quality artistic programmes despite the current economic situation.

Arts: Young People

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on arts bursary awards for people aged under 25 in each of the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: The Government support awards for young people through the Arts Council and their Art Award scheme. This scheme enables young people aged 11 to 25 to develop their creative skills. 22,000 young people have gained an Art Award since the qualification began in 2005. The scheme is growing quickly in popularity with almost 13,000 awards gained in this calendar year.
	Since its inception in 2005, Arts Council England have spent the following on Art Awards:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total (£) 
			 2005-06 350,000 
			 2006-07 550,000 
			 2007-08 550,000 
			 2008-09 700,000 
			 2009-10 772,000

Broadband

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in the United Kingdom have access to high-speed broadband internet.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	While there is currently no overall percentage figure on the number of households in the United Kingdom that have access to high speed broadband internet, approximately 12 million households have connection to fast broadband via Virgin Media's cable network. This covers approximately 50 per cent. of all UK households. BT announced its plans to invest £1.5 billion in a fibre-based super-fast broadband network. They plan to have the service available to one million households by March 2010 and the service should be available to around 40 per cent. of the UK's homes and businesses by 2012. They are currently rolling out super-fast broadband to 10,000 homes in Ebbsfleet and have a 40Mbps service pilot scheme to 15,000 homes in Muswell Hill and Whitchurch.
	Other high speed broadband developments include H20's Fibrecity scheme to 88,000 homes in Bournemouth and Dundee and Redstone's scheme serving 5,000 homes in Belfast.

Correspondence Management Unit

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department spent on employing an independent consultant to review and report on the Correspondence Management Unit in his Department in September 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: Over the summer the Department commissioned an independent consultant to look into a range of issues across the Department including the handling of correspondence.
	The cost of this consultancy, at a discounted Government rate, was £9,639.60.

Culture

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the UK City of Culture programme in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: In the last 12 months, my Department has spent £55,690 on the UK City of Culture programme. The programme is intended to encourage bidding cities to work within existing resources and budgets. DCMS funding has therefore been used to support bidding cities so to minimise their local expenditure. This money has been spent on paying expert assessors who work with bidding cities and on hosting events where cities can learn from the success of Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture.

National Heritage: Expenditure

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on its aims related to heritage  (a) in cash terms,  (b) in real terms and  (c) as a percentage of its annual expenditure in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 October 2009
	 The table was calculated from published outturn figures:
	
		
			  FY ending 31 March  Actual cost (£ million)  Cost in real terms( 1)   (£ million)  Percentage of annual DCMS voted spend excluding BBC 
			 1997-98 398.1 517.8 45 
			 1998-99 377.9 481.3 43 
			 1999-2000 390.4 487.7 41 
			 2000-01 404.3 498.4 41 
			 2001-02 428.9 517.2 40 
			 2002-03 452.8 529.0 39 
			 2003-04 483.4 549.3 27 
			 2004-05 505.9 559.3 37 
			 2005-06 528.9 574.0 36 
			 2006-07 568.1 598.9 34 
			 2007-08 614.9 629.9 33 
			 2008-09 640.8 640.8 29 
			 (1) Costs in 2008-09 prices. Calculated using GDP deflators 
		
	
	The table shows that spend on heritage matters has increased by more than £120 million in real terms since 1997. This spend is primarily attributable to—Churches Conservation Trust, CABE, Chatham Historic Dockyard, Greenwich Naval College, The Royal Parks, Occupied Royal Palaces, Historic Royal Palaces, Listed Places of Worship, Memorial Grant Scheme, National Heritage Memorial Fund, English Heritage, Museums and Galleries and Renaissance in the Regions.
	It should be noted that the percentage decrease in spend on Heritage as a proportion of DCMS voted spend in 2003-04 reflects one-off additional funding for the transfer of pension costs across DCMS sectors. As an administrative cost, this is included in the total spend but excluded from the proportion of that total considered here as 'aim-related' Heritage expenditure.
	The above data have been drawn from the published DCMS Appropriation accounts and resource accounts, the accounts are audited by NAO.

RMS Titanic

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 3 November 2009
	 The Department is aware of the public interest in the 2012 centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. Some national and regional museums and heritage centres have plans to mark the centenary, including the National Maritime Museum. Southampton, where RMS Titanic embarked, and Belfast, where she was built, also plan to mark the centenary. In 2008 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £50,000 to Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP) for a project based at the Titanic's Dock and Pump-House in Belfast and also awarded a grant of £174,500 to National Museums Northern Ireland (Ulster Folk and Transport Museum)—towards the development of' its collection "Titanic: Built in Belfast".

Sports: Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many page hits have been recorded by the  (a) Sports England,  (b) UK Sport,  (c) Football Foundation and  (d) Youth Sport Trust website in each year since their creation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Sport England  (b) UK Sport and  (c) the Football Foundation have advised that they hold data on the annual number of page hits to each of their websites for the following years, as shown in the table:
	
		
			   Annual number of page hits 
			  Organisation  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Sport England — 5,001,019 7,343,919 (1)5,065,702 
			 UK Sport (2)1,147,092 3,547,455 4,968,305 (3)5,183,788 
			 The Football Foundation — 6,757,949 (4)24,888,355 (5)38,613,738 
			 (1) Figures relevant to end October 2009. (2) Figures represent data captured between July and December 2006. (3) Figures represent data captured up to 5 November 2009. (4) Figures for the Football Foundation website increased dramatically when in September 2007 the new website was launched to allow applicants to apply for grants on-line. (5) These figures are predicted based on data capture to date. 
		
	
	 (d) The Youth Sport Trust have advised that from 2007 they introduced a new data capture system and began to record numbers of visitors to its site, rather than page hits.
	
		
			   Annual number of visitors 
			  Organisation  2006( 1)  2007  2008  2009 
			 The Youth Sport trust 525,767 362,183 609,426 518,844 
			 (1) Figures for 2006 represent page hits.

VisitBritain: Finance

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Visit Britain has  (a) taken in fees for and  (b) spent on administering each of its quality assessment schemes for accommodation businesses in each of the last five years; and what information his Department has obtained on the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in each of the schemes.

Margaret Hodge: The Quality Schemes are now the responsibility of VisitEngland. VisitEngland was established as a separate body on 1 April 2009 and before that date the quality schemes were the responsibility of VisitBritain.
	The income and costs figures for the Quality Schemes are as follows:
	2005-06—Income £2,681,000, Costs £3,988,000 (Actual)
	2006-07—Income £3,976,000, Costs £3,963,000 (Actual)
	2007-08—Income £4,410,000, Costs £4,254,000 (Actual)
	2008-09—Income £5,003,000, Costs £4,898,000 (Actual)
	2009-10—Income £5,300,000, Costs £5,200,000 (Budget)
	VisitEngland have made no estimate of the additional revenue generated for businesses participating in the schemes.
	The aim of the schemes is to increase the quality of accommodation in England and thus the profitability and strength of the tourism sector.

World Heritage Sites

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support his Department has given to young people's activity connected with UK world heritage sites in the last month; and at what cost to the public purse.

Margaret Hodge: My Department provided £6,000 for a conference to promote the UK-wide World Heritage Site education programme conference—'Making Sense of Our Sites' and a further one-day Youth Summit held at the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site in May this year. This education programme aims to engage young people with their World Heritage Site.

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Information on the number of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application are available from table 2.2 of the Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2008. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	Information on asylum are published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 is available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of persons granted asylum in the UK in each of the last five years were of each nationality.

Phil Woolas: The following table provides the proportion of persons granted asylum at the initial decision stage of their application, as a proportion of all persons granted asylum at their initial stage. This information excludes persons granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave, the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum initial decisions: Cases( 1, 2)  recognised as refugees and granted asylum, excluding dependants, by country of nationality, 2004 to 2008 as a proportion of total cases granted asylum 
			  Percentage of total asylum grants, principal applicants 
			  Country of nationality  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 3) 
			 Albania — 0 — 0 — 
			 Macedonia — — — — — 
			 Moldova 0 0 — — 0 
			 Russia 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Serbia and Montenegro(4) 1 0 0 n/a n/a 
			 Turkey 5 2 1 1 0 
			 Ukraine 0 — — — — 
			 EU Accession States(5) 0 — — — — 
			 Other Former USSR 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Other Europe(4) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total Europe 10 5 2 2 2 
			   
			 Colombia 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ecuador — 0 — — — 
			 Jamaica 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other Americas 0 0 0 — 0 
			 Total Americas 1 1 0 0 0 
			   
			 Algeria 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Angola 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Burundi 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Cameroon 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Congo 1 0 0 0 — 
			 Dem. Rep. of Congo 4 3 2 2 1 
			 Eritrea 5 29 36 31 31 
			 Ethiopia 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Gambia — 0 0 0 0 
			 Ghana 0 0 — — — 
			 Ivory Coast 0 1 0 0 — 
			 Kenya 0 0 — 0 0 
			 Liberia 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Libya 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Nigeria 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rwanda 1 — 0 0 0 
			 Sierra Leone 0 0 — 0 0 
			 Somalia 29 34 30 23 13 
			 Sudan 8 3 1 2 1 
			 Tanzania 0 0 — — — 
			 Uganda 2 1 0 0 0 
			 Zimbabwe 14 4 6 7 14 
			 Other Africa 1 1 0 1 1 
			 Total Africa 71 80 80 69 64 
			   
			 Iran 5 4 4 6 6 
			 Iraq 1 0 1 4 5 
			 Syria 1 1 1 1 0 
			 Other Middle East 1 1 3 3 2 
			 Total Middle East 7 6 9 13 14 
			   
			 Afghanistan 2 2 2 2 3 
			 Bangladesh — 0 0 0 0 
			 China (inc. Taiwan) 1 1 1 2 2 
			 India 0 0 — 0 0 
			 Pakistan 4 2 2 2 2 
			 Sri Lanka 1 0 0 2 4 
			 Vietnam 0 0 0 0 — 
			 Other Asia and Oceania 2 2 2 7 8 
			 Total Asia and Oceania 10 7 7 15 18 
			   
			 Other and not known 0 2 1 1 2 
			   
			 Grand total (percentage) 100 100 100 100 100 
			 n/a = Not applicable (1) Percentages rounded to the nearest 1 ((—) = 0 per cent., (0) = less than 0.5 per cent., but greater than 0 per cent.) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. Figures rounded to the nearest five. (2) Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. Figures exclude cases granted humanitarian protection and discretionary leave. (3) Provisional figures (4) Serbia (inc. Kosovo) and Montenegro counted under "Other Europe" from 2007. (5) EU Accession States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. In 1999 and 2000 it excludes Malta but includes Cyprus (Northern part of).

Asylum: Liverpool

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 13, on asylum applications, whether he plans to end the provision of facilities in Liverpool for face-to-face interviews in respect of applications for asylum.

Phil Woolas: With effect from 14 October 2009 Liverpool was re-designated to accept further submissions in person and with face to face interviews but will no longer accept initial applications for asylum or conduct face to face screening interviews. There is a transitional arrangement until March 2010, to screen the initial asylum applications for a small number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children.

Departmental Advertising

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on advertising  (a) in the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table outlines Home Office spend on advertising in  (a) the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.
	During this time, the advertising addressed the important issues of acquisitive crime reduction, alcohol harm, child protection on the internet, community safety, domestic violence, drug misuse, human trafficking, immigration, knife crime, police community support officers and immigration.
	This advertising spend amounts to less than 1 per cent. of the Home Office overall budget. In order to match resources to priorities we focus on where we will get the most impact and value and where we will deliver the greatest return on investment.
	Recruitment advertising is not done centrally but carried out across the Department and hence spend could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Media  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Press 1,688,416 1,634,210 2,700,226 
			 Television 5,412,325 2,434,300 4,756,502 
			 Radio 3,045,302 2,383,202 1,864,940

Entry Clearances

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for visas to enter the UK were refused in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The total number of visa applications refused in each of the last five calendar years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Applications received  Applications refused  Percentage refused 
			 2004 2,534,532 419,637 I7 
			 2005 2,594,849 460,220 18 
			 2006 2,772,599 480,599 I7 
			 2007 2,574,225 471,384 I8 
			 2008 2,456,903 441,710 18 
			  Note:  The data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.  Source:  Central Reference System.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many migrants entered the UK under each tier of the points-based immigration system in 2008.

Phil Woolas: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Passengers( 1,2)  entering the United Kingdom under the Points Based System, 2008( 3) : United Kingdom 
			   Number of journeys 
			 Total Points Based System (inc dependants)(4) 4,300 
			  O f which:  
			  Main applicants  
			 Tier 1 Highly Skilled Workers 3,220 
			 Tier 2 Skilled Workers General * 
			 Tier 5 Temporary Workers and Youth Mobility 25 
			 Total PBS main applicants 3,240 
			   
			  Dependants  
			 Tier 1 Dependants 1,050 
			 Tier 5 Dependants 5 
			 Total PBS dependants 1,060 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest three significant figures, except for figures less than 1,000, which are rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2). Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) Excludes EEA and Swiss nationals. (3) Provisional figures. (4) The phased implementation of Tier 1 of the Points Based System took place between February 2008—June 2008 and Tiers 2 and 5 were implemented in November 2008.  Source: Migration Statistics, Home Office

Robbery

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of cash-in-transit robberies; and what common characteristics of such crimes his Department has identified.

Alan Campbell: The Government have been working very closely with key stakeholders from the police, security and banking industries, the retail sector and the trade unions on the tackling of cash in transit robberies and through this partnership approach have developed a good understanding of the extent and nature of these offences. Through this work we are aware that there were 1,000 cash in transit attacks in 2008. A wide variety of data is shared among these stakeholders including not only police intelligence but also data from the British Security Industry Association on the number of cash in transit robberies that take place on a daily basis, the location of these offences, the type of premises attacked and the time of day that they take place. This data helps to inform the action that needs to be taken by ourselves and our partners to tackle these offences.

Small Retailer Grant Fund

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants from the Small Retailer Grant Fund have been  (a) applied for and  (b) awarded since the fund's inception; and what average amount has been awarded.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 28 October 2009
	The grants administrator for the Small Retailers Capital Grants Fund has received 1,851 small grant, and 95 partnership grant, applications.
	The applications are still being assessed and therefore no awards have yet been made.
	Applicants for the fund could receive up to £3,000 for individuals and up to £50,000 for partnerships.

Armed Forces: Training

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) required,  (b) actual and  (c) fit for task strength of each corps of the Army is.

Bill Rammell: In the following table "required strength" and "actual strength" figures are shown as "funded liability" and "trained strength" respectively.
	All figures shown in the table are from the Army Personnel Statistics Report (APSR), published on the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) website:
	www.dasa.mod.uk
	APSR data is derived from the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
	As at 1 September 2009 figures for the Regular Army are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Organisation   Funded  l iability  Trained  s trength( 1) 
			 Staff  763 840 
			 Royal Armoured Corps  5,772 5,810 
			 Royal Artillery  7,476 7,570 
			 Royal Engineers  9,529 9,290 
			 Royal Signals  8,319 7,630 
			 Infantry  24,519 23,980 
			 Army Air Corps  2,047 2,120 
			 Royal Army Chaplains Department  148 130 
			 Royal Logistics Corps  15,848 15,190 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps  3,190 2,990 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers  9,820 9,580 
			 Adjutant General's Corps Provost 1,756 1,700 
			  Staff and Personnel Support 3,911 3,530 
			  Military Provost Service 101 110 
			  Educational and Training Services 344 340 
			  Army Legal Services 114 100 
			  Unknown(2) — 60 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps  222 310 
			 Small Arms School Corps  151 150 
			 Royal Army Dentistry Corps  436 380 
			 Intelligence Corps  1,648 1,450 
			 Army Physical Training Corps  448 460 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Auxiliary Nursing Corps  1,136 840 
			 Corps of Army Music  901 810 
			 (1) Trained Strength figures are rounded. (2) These are trained members of the AGC who, due to data input errors in the JPA system, are not allocated to a sub Regimental Corps. 
		
	
	Not recorded in the table are Long Service List (LSL) soldiers and Gurkhas. LSL are those soldiers who have completed over 22 years' service and have extended their commitment to Army. LSL are treated as a cap badge in their own right for career management purposes. As at 1 September 2009, LSL funded liability was 570, and trained strength 500. Current Gurkha liability is 2,991. Gurkha Trained strength is currently 3,499.
	"Fit for Task" has been interpreted as fit to deploy for any form of duty on deployment, including personnel listed as having limited deployability. Data is calculated from Personnel Unable to Deploy (PUD) which is derived from unit returns and includes Gurkha manpower.
	As at 1 October, Infantry "Fit for Task" strength, excluding 1 Parachute Regiment was 20,340. Royal Armoured Corps "Fit for Task" strength (excluding 1 Royal Tank Regiment (RTR)—element belonging to Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment—and Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment) was 4,328.
	"Fit for Task" figures for other corps are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	As funded liability and trained strength data is collected at different times on a different basis for different purposes to fit for task data, comparisons between the two data sets may be misleading.

Armed Forces: Tribunals

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which tribunals of inquiry his Department was represented in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) 2008; on what occasions his Department was legally represented; and what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of each such inquiry in each such year.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD incurred the costs shown for legal representation at three statutory public inquiries, which have replaced tribunals of inquiries, in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Most of the costs were for legal representation for former and current soldiers, rather than the MOD itself.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Inquiry  FY 2006-07  FY 2007-08  FY 2008-09 
			 The Bloody Sunday Inquiry 305,206 269,962 174,300 
			 The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry n/a 35,106 99,466 
			 The Billy Wright Inquiry n/a 12,149 4,118 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	The costs incurred for the Rosemary Nelson and Billy Wright Inquiries in 2006-07 were not recorded separately from other work carried out by the same solicitors and cannot be individually identified. Other costs to the MOD arising from these inquiries are not recorded separately.
	In addition, the MOD incurred legal and other costs arising from the Nimrod Review in 2008-09.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated monetary value was of his Department's spare parts which have been lost in transit in each year since 2001.

Quentin Davies: Data on losses is not held in the format requested, to enable the separate identification of 'spare parts'. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in each year since 1997.

Kevan Jones: Total amounts of all types of bonus paid to MOD civilian personnel in each financial year since 2003-04 are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Bonus total (£) 
			 2003-04 24,866,213 
			 2004-05 34,106,162 
			 2005-06 43,317,178 
			 2006-07 39,147,749 
			 2007-08 46,103,238 
			 2008-09 52,984,656 
			 2009-10 47,283,853 
		
	
	Figure for 2009-10 is a partial year figure covering the period 1 April 2009 to 31 October 2009.
	We are unable to provide details of bonus payments paid during the period April 1997 to March 2003 as the data is no longer available electronically and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unmanned aerial vehicles of each type are  (a) in service and  (b) operationally deployable.

Quentin Davies: There are 176 Desert Hawk III unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) in service.
	The Hermes 450 UAV capability is procured on a service provision basis. The service specifies the number of flying hours to be provided, not the number of air vehicles. The service is, however, currently supported by 10 air vehicles.
	Four Reaper UAVs have been delivered into service, one of which was lost on operations in April 2008. Two others are on order.
	I am withholding information on the number of UAVs that are operationally deployable as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Biofuels: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his assessment is of the potential contribution of users of high blend biodiesel towards the UK's energy target of a 34 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is currently engaging with stakeholders, and undertaking wide ranging economic analysis regarding our 2020 renewable transport energy targets. The potential uptake of different renewable transport fuels, including high blends of biofuel will be assessed as part of this analysis. This will inform our National Action Plan, due for publication next summer, in which the Department will set out a clear strategy for meeting our targets.

Departmental Advertising

Lee Scott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on advertising  (a) in the printed press,  (b) on television and  (c) on radio in each of the last three years.

Chris Mole: The majority of press, television and radio advertising media investment by the Department for Transport is in support of the THINK! road safety and the Act on CO2 campaigns. Major advertising investment by executive agencies has been by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, in support of Electronic Vehicle Licensing, Sale of Marks and Vehicle Excise Enforcement (Continuous Registration).
	The information sought is not held in the format requested by all parts of the Department and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information available is included in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			  (a) Printed press advertising
			 DfT(C) 2,136 2,184 1,105 
			 DSA 148 91 43 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA n/a n/a n/a 
			 HA n/a 117 41 
			 MCA 71 50 73 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
			 
			  (b) Television advertising
			 DfT(C) 5,171 8,002 8,171 
			 DSA 0 0 0 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 
			 HA 0 0 0 
			 MCA 4 15 13 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
			 
			  (c) Radio advertising
			 DfT(C) 2,578 2,511 3,089 
			 DSA 0 0 41 
			 DVLA n/a n/a n/a 
			 GCDA 0 0 0 
			 HA n/a 40 66 
			 MCA 0 0 0 
			 VCA n/a n/a n/a 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
		
	
	Marketing advertising expenditure across all media types is available and is set out in the following table for each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Marketing advertising expenditure 
			  £000 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 DfT(C) 16,395 15,611 16,588 
			 DSA 148 91 530 
			 DVLA 7,098 7,716 9,484 
			 GCDA <1 0 3 
			 HA 229 157 295 
			 MCA 74 66 86 
			 VCA 23 24 19 
			 VOSA 0 0 0

Heathrow Airport: Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to review his policy on airport public safety zones with particular reference to  (a) their boundaries and  (b) the buildings which are allowed within them;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to the application of his Department's public safety zones policy in respect of Heathrow Airport;
	(3)  what consideration was given to his Department's public safety zone policy when it was decided to support a third runway at Heathrow Airport;
	(4)  what area would be encompassed by a public safety zone if the third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport were to be constructed;
	(5)  what buildings are located in the public safety zones area to be established if a third runway at Heathrow Airport is constructed; and what the estimated cost of the compulsory purchase of these buildings by the airport operator is under existing legislation.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport currently has no plans to review its Public Safety Zone (PSZ) policy, which is set out in the DFT circular 1/2002 on "Control of Development in Airport Public Safety Zones".
	The Department only establishes PSZs for existing airport runways. For proposed new runways it would be a matter for the airport operator—BAA in the case of Heathrow—to produce draft Public Safety Zone contours as part of any future planning application and to identify any properties that might be affected. This would then be subject to consultation as part of the normal planning process.
	In relation to the decision to support a third runway at Heathrow airport, reference was made to PSZ policy both in the consultation document and in the safety section of the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" impact assessment (available on the DFT
	website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/heathrowconsultations/heathrowdecision/impactassessment/

Network Rail: Finance

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department plans to provide to Network Rail in each year from 2009 to 2014.

Chris Mole: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The schedule of direct payments from the Secretary of State to Network Rail under the Network Rail Deed of Grant is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2009-10 3,366 
			 2010-11 3,386 
			 2011-12 3,411 
			 2012-13 3,347 
			 2013-14 3,071 
		
	
	Figures for 2010-11 and beyond are subject to indexation with reference to the retail price index. In addition, these figures do not include any contracted payments in respect of the rail network in Scotland which are subject to separate arrangements between Network Rail and Scottish Ministers.
	Network Rail also receives income from other sources including passenger train operators, freight operators, retail and property. It also accesses further funding via borrowing. Its total revenue requirement for England and Wales, as determined by the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2009-10 4,764 
			 2010-11 4,805 
			 2011-12 4,836 
			 2012-13 4,817 
			 2013-14 4,806 
		
	
	The ORR has indicated that this level of income will be sufficient for Network Rail to deliver the outputs required by the Government's High Level Output Specification.

Railways

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park of 21 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1447, what consideration is being given to the diversion to platforms 20 to 24 of trains currently terminating at London Bridge, with a view to expanding capacity for trains from the Sussex coast at that station.

Chris Mole: There are no plans to divert Sussex route trains which currently terminate at London Bridge station to Waterloo International Terminal platforms 20 to 24. Sussex route trains can only reach Waterloo by means of the circuitous route via Herne Hill. There are no spare paths available on that route in the peaks, and very few off-peak.

Railways: Standards

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what information his Department holds on the number of trains which were cancelled in each of the last five years by each train operating company; and how many of these cancellations occurred on  (a) peak,  (b) weekday off-peak and  (c) weekend services.

Chris Mole: The information held is given in the following tables. This comprises the total number of trains cancelled by each franchised train operator in each of the five most recent financial years, including 2009-10 up to October 2009. In the case of London and south east operators, the number of peak-hour trains cancelled is also held.
	The Department for Transport does not hold information on the number of trains cancelled on any specific day of the week, requested in  (b) and  (c) above.
	The number of trains cancelled in each of the last five years by franchised train operating company:
	
		
			  All trains 
			   Full cancellations 
			  Train operator  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 (to October 2009) 
			 ATW 2,837 2,214 1,394 1,136 381 
			 c2c 1,343 1,152 1,249 946 349 
			 Chiltern 1,366 938 715 738 410 
			 CrossCountry 1,435 1,382 1,267 1,157 615 
			 East Midlands Trains 1,952 1,970 2,197 1,351 582 
			 FCC 5,565 5,166 4,280 5,533 2,476 
			 FGW 4,609 7,045 8,153 4,509 1,783 
			 London Midland 6,203 6,198 5,623 7,558 2,714 
			 London Overground 2,753 2,301 2,376 1,339 623 
			 Merseyrail 3,038 2,077 1,847 1,613 688 
			 Northern Rail 6,116 7,626 8,670 6,920 3,362 
			 NXEA 7,261 9,207 7,307 6,493 2,856 
			 NXEC 546 805 997 625 284 
			 Southeastern 6,341 5,227 5,102 7,326 2,071 
			 Southern 6,892 5,954 5,627 9,629 3,083 
			 SWT 5,663 6,034 3,890 6,327 1,184 
			 TPE 856 981 897 1,001 268 
			 Virgin Trains 688 878 678 2,205 775 
			 Total 65,464 67,155 62,269 66,406 24,504 
		
	
	The number of peak-hour trains cancelled in each of the last five years by franchised train operating company :
	
		
			  Peak services 
			   Full cancellations 
			  Train operator  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 (to October 2009) 
			 ATW (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 c2c 268 278 222 219 65 
			 Chiltern 278 240 185 192 84 
			 CrossCountry (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 East Midlands Trains (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 FCC 1,069 962 773 1,067 368 
			 FGW 'Link' only 238 316 330 260 75 
			 London Midland 63 109 76 276 62 
			 London Overground 57 47 49 37 23 
			 Merseyrail (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Northern Rail (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 NXEA 1,045 1,239 1,025 819 406 
			 NXEC (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Southeastern 1,089 986 953 1,431 429 
			 Southern 911 801 652 938 347 
			 SWT 877 582 582 981 181 
			 TPE (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Virgin Trains (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )No data available.

Sustrans: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much Sustrans has received from his Department in each of the last five years; and what information his Department holds on the amount Sustrans has raised for funding projects in respect of which matching funds were provided by his Department in each such year.

Sadiq Khan: The following table shows how much the Department for Transport has paid Sustrans in each of the last five years and what information the Department holds on the amount Sustrans has raised for funding projects in respect of which match funding was provided by the Department.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Sustrans' projects  
			 Links to Schools 2,000,000 4,205,000 2,010,000 3,500,000 (1)— 
			 Match funding 3,870,700 7,668,035 3,695,331 7,948,772 (1)— 
			   
			 Bike It (2)— (2)— (2)— 700,000 397,500 
			 Match funding (2)— (2)— (2)— 510,000 610,000 
			   
			 Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs) Monitoring 11,698 28,698 27,407 73,017 (1)— 
			 Match funding n/a n/a n/a n/a (1)— 
			   
			 Selection of Cycling Demonstration Towns (CDTs) and support for set-up 12,148 4,948 4,474 11,627 (1)— 
			 Match funding n/a n/a n/a n/a (1)— 
			   
			 Safe Routes to Schools/School Travel Information Service 114,709 145,000 60,000 100,000 50,000 
			 Match funding (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			 n/a = not applicable (1) No money paid so far this financial year. (2) Prior to 2008-09 Bike It grant paid directly to Bicycle Association. (3) Information not available.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the total cost of the Thameslink programme.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport is continually reviewing the costs associated with the Thameslink Programme. The current forecast of the total costs for the programme is around £5.5 billion to £6 billion.

Thameslink

Patrick Hall: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the most recent performance statistics are for the Thameslink route of the First Capital Connect franchise.

Chris Mole: The official industry performance data provided by Network Rail is for First Capital Connect as a whole. This information is not broken down by route or service group and therefore, we are unable to provide the statistics requested.

Waterloo International Terminal

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what expenditure on  (a) the operation of,  (b) the maintenance of,  (c) security at and  (d) other matters at Waterloo International terminal British Rail Board (Residuary) incurred in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: It is the Government's intention that the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo is used to provide increased capacity for domestic passengers.
	The former Eurostar terminal and platforms are also likely to be central to the wider redevelopment of Waterloo which would be a key project to transform the station environment and accessibility, while also increasing capacity significantly. The Secretary of State has asked his station advisers to make early recommendations on the scope and options for the long-term development of Waterloo, including the former international terminal.
	The costs that BRB (Residuary) Ltd. have incurred in managing the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo in the 12 months to 31 March 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Operations(1) 1,232,000 
			 Maintenance 673,000 
			 Security 36,000 
			 Other 52,000 
			 (1)Operations costs quoted are net of income from rent and service charges of £1,255,000.

Waterloo Station

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the economy over  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 20 years of integrating Waterloo International terminal into the domestic terminal.

Chris Mole: It is the Government's intention that the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo is used to provide increased capacity for domestic passengers. The Department for Transport is in discussion with Network Rail and Stagecoach South West Trains to establish what would be the most cost-effective way to integrate Waterloo International terminal into the domestic station that maximises benefits for the short, medium and long term.
	The former Eurostar terminal and platforms are also likely to be central to the wider redevelopment of Waterloo which would be a key to transform the station environment and accessibility, while also increasing capacity significantly. The Secretary of State has asked his station advisors to make early recommendations on the scope and options for the long-term development of Waterloo, including the former international terminal.

Alcohol: Excise Duties

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the level of fraud in respect of duty on  (a) beer,  (b) wine,  (c) spirits and  (d) cider.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The most recent estimate of the spirits level of fraud was published by HMRC in "Measuring Indirect Tax Gaps—2008" in October 2008 and is available in the House of Commons Library.
	The Department's most recent estimate of the level of fraud in beer for 2006-07 gives a range of between £270 million and £490 million in respect of duty. This is a provisional internal estimate that may be subject to revision.
	Estimates for the level of fraud in wine and cider are not available.

Northern Rock

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much Government lending to Northern Rock has been repaid to date.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Northern Rock published its third quarter trading statement on 4 November 2009. This reported that the gross loan outstanding to the Government stood at £14.5 billion at 30 September 2009. After deducting liquidity balances held with the Bank of England the net loan at 30 September 2009 stood at £10.9 billion. The gross and net loan outstanding at 31 December 2007 was £26.9 billion. To date, Northern Rock have repaid £12.4 billion and £16.0 billion in gross and net terms, respectively.
	The Government announced in February of this year that in order to enable Northern Rock to undertake increased levels of new lending, the bank will be restructured so that the back book of mortgages are managed separately to its other business. The Government also announced at the time that they will increase the loan to Northern Rock and extend the repayment schedule as part of plans to restructure the company.
	Following last month's state aid approval from the European Commission, the Government are working with the company to finalise the details of the restructuring, including the revised repayment schedule for the Government loan.

Public Expenditure: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much public funding has been allocated to  (a) Cornwall and  (b) the Isles of Scilly in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Public funding from central Government grants allocated to Cornwall county council and the council of the Isles of Scilly for the years 1997-98 to 2007-08 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Cornwall  Isles of Scilly 
			 1997-98 235,095 2,132 
			 1998-99 248,609 2,107 
			 1999-2000 273,730 2,215 
			 2000-01 298,121 2,438 
			 2001-02 327,356 2,815 
			 2002-03 349,280 3,512 
			 2003-04 386,681 3,533 
			 2004-05 435,398 3,832 
			 2005-06 453,576 4,117 
			 2006-07 464,067 4,467 
			 2007-08 499,465 4,877 
		
	
	The lowest level at which total public expenditure information is available is the region. Total identifiable expenditure on services in the South West can be found in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2009 (CM 7630). Please see the following link for the relevant chapters of PESA 2009:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pesa09_chapter9.pdf

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have transferred housing to registered social landlords through large-scale voluntary transfers since 1997; how many dwellings have been so transferred in the period; and how much debt was written off as part of such transfers.

Ian Austin: Since 1997 there have been 226 transfers by 140 local authorities with 939,347 dwellings transferred. The amount of debt the Department has paid to the Public Works Loans Boards in respect of completed housing stock transfers to date is £4.124 billion.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by the Homes and Communities Agency Academy on  (a) developing,  (b) publicising and (c) providing continuing support for the foundation degree in sustainable communities offered by Salford University; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The development costs associated with the foundation degree in sustainable communities at Salford university are £1,980, covering the costs of the HCA's university adviser. The majority of the publicity has been covered by Salford university through their normal marketing and promotional channels, however the cost of a promotional video associated with Salford university was £1,681. The continued support costs are £5,000 for 2009-10. The total costs are therefore £8,661, which equates to a cost per person to date of £376.57. The foundation degree aims to develop the practical skills and values necessary for success in delivering regeneration and sustainable communities.

Non-Domestic Rates: Public Houses

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a public house which has diversified to offer  (a) post office or banking facilities and  (b) limited retail sales, will have the income from such activities taken into account, when the Valuation Office Agency rates the hereditament for the 2010 business rates revaluation; and whether such facilities may act as a material consideration in affecting the rateable value.

Barbara Follett: The contribution of any ancillary activities to the effective use of a property as measured by the rental market is used as the reference point for the rating assessment. Circumstances will vary, but unless the ancillary activity yields significant potential for additional maintainable trade in its own right, it is unlikely to result in an increased rating assessment on the pub.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring that the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Property Development: Green Belt

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his policy is on the provision of open spaces in proposed developments on green belt land;
	(2)  what requirements must be satisfied before planning approval is given for development on green belt land.

Ian Austin: Planning policy guidance note 17, Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, states that local planning authorities should undertake rigorous assessments of the needs of their communities for open space. This enables them to set their own open space standards which take into account local circumstances, including the extent of development. It is for local authorities to determine how much open space should be provided as part of a new development, whether in the green belt or elsewhere.
	Under our plan-led system, all development in the countryside is strictly controlled, but in green belt there is an additional restraint—the presumption against inappropriate development. This is explained in planning policy guidance note 2, "Green Belts". Only where the harm that inappropriate development may cause to the green belt would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, and where there are very special circumstances to justify the development, should permission be granted by the planning authority.

Social Rented Housing: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of social housing in Chorley; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: holding answer 2 November 2009
	In 2007 the council transferred its stock to Chorley Community Housing. Earlier this year Chorley Community Housing carried out a resident survey which indicated very high levels of satisfaction.
	The number of households on the housing waiting list in Chorley has been reduced from 1,897 in April 2007 to 1,370 in April 2008; this represents a 27.8 per cent. reduction.
	Additional social housing is being provided through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP). So far Chorley has been allocated a provisional £9.58 million under the 2008-11 Programme to deliver an estimated 252 new affordable homes, of which 118 will be for social renting and 134 for low cost home ownership.

National School of Government

John Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which companies purchased consultancy services from the National School of Government in 2008-09; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: This is a matter for the National School of Government. I have asked the principal and chief executive to respond.
	 Letter from Rod Clark, dated 3 November 2009:
	In the Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 9 January 2007 (Official Report Col 5WS), the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Pat McFadden MP) announced that the National School of Government was now a Non Ministerial Department. Consequently, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the National School of Government.
	The National School has income from consultancy of £2,616,000 in 2008-09 out of total income of £29,368,000. (PQ 287739).
	The National School does the large majority of its business with the public sector. In 2008-09 the only consultancy work we carried out for private sector companies was with Liberata UK Limited and Logica.
	Copies of the table showing the full list of organisations for which we did consultancy work in the year will be placed in the house Library.
	In addition I would note that the Department for International Development commissions the School to carry out international work as part of the UK aid programme and thus some of the work paid for by DfID was carried out for foreign governments. (PQ 287747).

Attendance Allowance: St. Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in attendance allowance to residents of St. Albans constituency in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Attendance all owance expenditure in St. Alban s parliamentary constituency 
			   Cash  2009-10 prices 
			 2004-05 4.2 4.7 
			 2005-06 4.6 5.0 
			 2006-07 4.8 5.1 
			 2007-08 5.0 5.2 
			 2008-09 5.4 5.4 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are in £ million and rounded to the nearest £100,000. 2. Tables containing benefit expenditure by benefit, departmental strategic objective, local authority and parliamentary constituency can be found at the following link and a copy has been placed in the Library: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/medium_term.asp  Source: DWP Statistical and Accounting Data.

Children: Maintenance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much  (a) the Child Support Agency and  (b) the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission have outstanding in child support payments; and by how many people these sums are owed.

Helen Goodman: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much  (a) the Child Support Agency and  (b) the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission have outstanding in child support payments; and by how many people these sums are owed.
	The information requested is provided in the attached table which shows the amount of arrears owed by non-resident parents (NRPs) to the Secretary of State (SoS) and the parent with care (PWC) and the number of NRPs the arrears are owed by.
	
		
			  Arrears outstanding: September 2009 
			   Total  SoS  PWC 
			   CS2  CSCS  CS2  CSCS  CS2  CSCS 
			 Number of NRPs 678,500 308,300 353,200 173,600 586,800 205,700 
			 Arrears (£ billion) 1.98 1.89 0.85 1.04 1.13 0.86 
			  Notes:  1. The Child Support Agency operates cases under two computer systems, CSCS and CS2.  2. The breakdown of non resident parents (NRPs) with outstanding arrears owed to Secretary of State (SoS) and Parent with Care (PwC) will be greater than the total number of non resident parents with arrears as some NRPs will owe money to both SoS and PWC.  3. In the information provided some cases have been excluded where the parent with care owes money. These cases are accounted for in Agency arrears figures, including those used in the Agency's Quarterly Summary of Statistics, which will therefore differ from figures in this response.

Cold Weather Payments: St. Albans

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cold weather payments have been made to residents of St. Albans constituency in each year since 2003.

Helen Goodman: The St. Albans constituency is currently linked to three weather stations. The postcode districts in St. Albans constituency and the associated weather station for each year are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Postcode district  Weather station  Years 
			 AL1-4 Andrewsfield 2002-03 onwards 
			 HP3 Bracknell 2002-03 
			 HP3 High Wycombe 2003-04 onwards 
			 WD2, 4-5, 7, 25 Heathrow 2002-03 onwards 
		
	
	The numbers of times cold weather payments have been triggered at these weather stations in each year since 2002-03 are given in the table.
	
		
			  Cold weather payment triggers at each weather station 
			   Andrewsfield  Bracknell  High Wycombe  Heathrow 
			 2002-03 1 1 (1)— 0 
			 2003-04 0 (1)— 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 (1)— 0 0 
			 2005-06 0 (1)— 0 0 
			 2006-07 0 (1)— 0 0 
			 2007-08 0 (1)— 0 0 
			 2008-09 3 (1)— 3 1 
			 (1)Denotes not applicable: the weather station was not used in the cold weather payment scheme in that year.   Source: DWP records. 
		
	
	It is not possible to give the estimated number of payments made in 2002-03 and 2008-09 to residents of St. Albans constituency as this information is not available at constituency level but by weather station only (and the above weather stations cover a wider area than just this constituency).

Council Tax Benefit

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid out in council tax benefit as a proportion of council tax receipts in each year since 1997.

Helen Goodman: The available information on council tax benefit expenditure is in the following table.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit expenditure, by country since 1997 in cash terms 
			  £ million, cash 
			   England  Wales  Scotland  Great Britain 
			 1997-98 2,014 94 287 2,395 
			 1998-99 2,046 103 303 2,452 
			 1999-2000 2,096 108 307 2,511 
			 2000-01 2,146 119 310 2,575 
			 2001-02 2,246 124 316 2,686 
			 2002-03 2,381 131 322 2,834 
			 2003-04 2,744 142 337 3,223 
			 2004-05 3,039 160 358 3,557 
			 2005-06 3,230 176 368 3,774 
			 2006-07 3,386 184 373 3,943 
			 2007-08 3,468 189 366 4,023 
			  Note: Includes all expenditure whether funded by central or local government.  Source: Local Authority Council Tax Benefit subsidy claims 
		
	
	Council tax receipts in England are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government; in Scotland they are a matter for the Scottish Parliament; and in Wales they are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Credit Unions

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which local authority areas credit unions and similar organisations have received funding from the Growth Fund in all rounds of funding to date.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The information has been placed in the House of Commons Library. It provides details of local authority areas where Growth Fund contracted organisations, including Credit Unions and Community Development Finance Institutions, are located.
	Over 184,000 people have benefited from affordable loans with coverage extending beyond named local authority boundaries.
	Growth Fund is focused on the areas of highest financial exclusion and an extra £18.75 million from the April budget is helping us reach more of these areas and help more people.

Departmental Motor Vehicles

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department spent on hire vehicles in each of the last five financial years.

Jim Knight: Information is not available for 2004-05 or 2005-06. The amount spent on the hire of vehicles in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £  m illion 
			 2006-07 1.5 
			 2007-08 1.5 
			 2008-09 2.3 
		
	
	Please note that these figures do not include use of the Government Car Service.
	The increase in hire costs of £0.8 million is offset by a reduction of £3.6 million in 2008-09 of personal car costs, reflecting a policy to reduce personal car use.
	The figures provided should be read in the context of a Department of over 100,000 staff operating from over 1,000 office locations across the country.

Housing Benefit

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to publish the results of her Department's consultation on changes to the local housing allowance.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The Department consulted on proposals to remove the up to £15 weekly housing benefit excess that customers can receive over and above their contractual rent under the local housing allowance arrangements. In addition to the consultation carried out by the Department, the Social Security Advisory Committee also carried out a consultation. We are considering carefully the responses to the consultation and the recommendations made by the Social Security Advisory Committee, and will announce our response in due course.

Housing Benefit

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of housing benefit rent rebates was in  (a) England and  (b) London in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990, (iii) 1995 and (iv) in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Housing benefit rent rebate expenditure 
			  £ million 
			   England  London 
			 1980-81 2,306 — 
			 1990-91 2,709 — 
			
			 1995-96 4,537 1,149 
			
			 2003-04 4,220 1,317 
			 2004-05 4,373 1,480 
			 2005-06 4,419 1,579 
			 2006-07 4,505 1,671 
			 2007-08 4,579 1,742 
			  Notes:  1. Figures include all rent rebate expenditure, whether funded by central or local government.  2. Figures are in millions of pounds.  3. Figures are in cash terms.  4. Information for London is not available for 1989-90 and 1990-91.   Source:  Local authority subsidy claims.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many responses she has received to the consultation document Changes to the local housing allowance: consultation on draft regulations.

Helen Goodman: The Department for Work and Pensions consulted over the summer on proposals to remove the up to £15 weekly excess that customers can receive over and above their contractual rent under the local housing allowance arrangements. In addition, the Social Security Advisory Committee also carried out a consultation. The overall number of responses to both consultations amounted to 38 of which 24 were specific to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local housing allowance claimants receive the maximum excess payment of £15.

Helen Goodman: This information is not available.

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been spent on the alternative livelihoods programme in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) funds a range of programmes to support the promotion of alternative livelihoods in Afghanistan. These include funding for agriculture, rural and private sector development. DFID spend on these programmes since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002 354,000 
			 2003 3,000,000 
			 2004 4,500,000 
			 2005 18,300,000 
			 2006 30,500,000 
			 2007 14,100,000 
			 2008 25,700,000 
		
	
	Last year DFID helped provide alternative livelihoods to farmers in Helmand by distributing wheat seed to over 13,000 farmers in the province. In addition, the UK participated in a voucher scheme providing seed and fertiliser to a further 147,000 farmers in nine provinces in Afghanistan.
	There have been real signs of progress in farmers moving away from poppy cultivation. In September, the UN confirmed a 22 per cent. fall in opium cultivation in Afghanistan from 2008—this includes a 33 per cent. fall in Helmand, the heart of poppy cultivation.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many first-class flights were taken by Ministers of his Department in 2008-09; which Minister took each such flight; what the  (a) origin and  (b) destination was of each such flight; and what the cost to the public purse was in each case.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office annual list of overseas travel in excess of £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Air Travel

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many first-class flights  (a) he,  (b) the Minister of State and  (c) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State took on official business between 1 January and 1 October 2009; and what the (i) destination, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost of each flight was.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office annual list of overseas travel in excess of £500 undertaken by Ministers. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	The 2009-10 list will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to encourage pharmaceutical companies to participate in the UNITAID patent pool to make HIV medicines more affordable.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken every opportunity—in speeches, statements to the press and in private meetings with company representatives—to encourage pharmaceutical companies to engage with UNITAID while it is in the process of developing an operational plan for a patent pool for HIV medicines. The UK Government, as a member of the board, looks forward to considering UNITAID's completed proposals for a patent pool in the UNITAID board meeting in December.

Developing Countries: Zinc

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps he has taken to increase the supply of zinc tablets to developing countries.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development's (DFID) new evidence paper, "The neglected crisis of undernutrition: Evidence for action", acknowledges the importance and cost effectiveness of zinc supplementation for maternal and child nutrition and health. This is available on-line:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications/nutrition-evidence-paper.pdf
	The forthcoming Nutrition strategy will also include support to scaling-up direct nutritional interventions, including zinc.
	DFID provides £21 million a year to UNICEF which leads efforts to increase zinc supply to developing countries. Although there is still a vast unmet need, the number of tablets distributed has increased from 20 million in 2006 to 91 million in 2008. At a national level, DFID has also provided support to increase supply. For example, we are currently providing £7.5 million over five years to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh, which has carried out extensive trials on 'baby zinc'—a medicine for young children.

Overseas Aid: Education

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent steps his Department has taken towards achieving universal  (a) basic education and  (b) literacy in the developing world.

Michael Foster: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The Department for International Development (DFID) supports partner governments by providing long-term predictable funding to enable them to develop and implement their education sector plans. The UK is actively engaged in galvanising action through international bodies such as the G8. Recent successes include last September's Education Partnership meeting in New York where UK Government activity helped the delivery of international pledges and commitments to education totalling over $4.5 billion. This year DFID is supporting, in part by providing up to £1 million, the Global Campaign for Education's "1 GOAL" campaign, which aims to use the power of the 2010 football World Cup to raise the profile of education.
	 (b) DFID is committed in partnership with other donors, to the realisation of all six goals of the Education for All (EFA) agenda. Through our long-term commitment to provide £8.5 billion in support of education overseas to 2015, we are supporting poor countries to invest in quality basic education, including lower secondary, to ensure that children attain the fundamental skills they need to participate in social and economic life. In addition to mainstream school education, DFID has recently supported adult literacy programmes in Uganda, Kenya, India and Yemen, as well as through humanitarian aid programmes.

Peru: EC External Trade

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with  (a) the European Commission and  (b) his European counterparts on the environmental and social effects of the EU free trade agreement with Peru; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Secretary of State for International Development has not personally had discussions with European colleagues regarding the European Union (EU)—Andean Nations multiparty trade agreement.
	The UK Government regard the environmental and social impacts of all free trade agreements as important considerations. Officials in the joint Department for International Development/Business, Innovation and Skills (DFID/BIS) Trade Policy Unit have worked with the EU to ensure a strong chapter on sustainable development, and are working with other member states to improve the Sustainability Impact Assessment process. Officials are also working to ensure that any trade agreement with the Andean nations will contain a human rights clause as an essential element. The UK Government regard agreements of this nature as important for economic growth in developing countries, which by helping to reduce poverty will improve social welfare in these countries.

Academies: Sponsorship

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the monetary value is of sponsorship funds provided by his Department for united learning trusts, broken down by  (a) year of funding and  (b) academy school in receipt of the funds in the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2009
	The Department does not provide funding for sponsors. Sponsors establish not-for-profit charitable companies to set up and run the academies; and these companies receive funding from the Department and sponsors.
	There are two models for sponsors' payments: traditional procurement and the endowment model. On the first of these, the sponsorship payment is a contribution to the construction cost of academy buildings, normally of £2 million, but in the case of sponsors with their fourth or more academy, £1.5 million. The timing of this payment is usually phased and varies from academy to academy and is agreed between the Department and the Academy Trust. ULT sponsors 13 traditional procurement academies:
	Manchester;
	Lambeth;
	Northampton;
	Salford;
	Barnsley;
	Paddington;
	Sheffield Park;
	Sheffield Springs;
	Walthamstow;
	North Oxfordshire;
	Swindon;
	William Hulme; and
	Stockport
	The traditional procurement model was changed to the endowment model when responsibility for the provision of academy buildings was transferred to Partnerships for Schools (PfS).
	With the endowment model, sponsors establish an endowment fund which generates revenue for the Academy Company to use to counteract the impact of deprivation on the communities they serve. This revenue is not used for either capital costs or to meet the academy's running costs, which are funded by the Department.
	With the endowment model, payments by sponsors begin only after the academy has opened, and are usually phased over a period of five years. ULT currently sponsor four endowment model academies:
	Accrington;
	Midhurst Rother;
	Kettering Buccleuch; and
	Shoreham.
	In some traditional procurement model academies (including some ULT academies), particularly where a sponsor has several academy projects and needs time to raise sponsorship contributions, the Department has agreed to pay an additional grant to the Academy Trust to cover part of a sponsor's agreed sponsorship payment. This is then recovered by the Department through deductions from the academy's "General Annual Grant (GAG)", which academies receive to meet their running costs. Academy sponsors then make contributions to the academies to make good these deductions.
	For some multiple academy sponsors, such as ULT, who have already committed £2 million to a number of academy projects, we have agreed that the sponsor can use "reasonable endeavours" to raise funds. To date, payments made by sponsors to academy companies in relation to the traditional procurement model amount to almost £100 million, of which ULT have paid almost £11 million.
	A table setting out the Department's funding for each ULT academy from 2001/02 to 2009/10 has been placed in the Libraries.

CAFCASS: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the training budget for Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service practitioners has been  (a) in total and  (b) per head in each of the last two years.

Dawn Primarolo: CAFCASS' total spend on training was £1.119 million in 2008/09 and £1.171 million in 2007/08.
	CAFCASS does not hold information on the split of these amounts between practitioners and other staff groups so cannot give an accurate per head figure.

Children: Communication Skills

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will take steps to assist more local authorities to implement the recommendations of the Bercow review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communications needs; and if he will make a statement.

Diana Johnson: Following the Bercow review of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), the Government published "Better Communication: An action plan to improve services for children and young people with SLCN", backed by £12 million investment.
	As part of the action plan, the Department and the Department of Health have chosen 16 local areas to become SLCN commissioning pathfinders. The 16 pilot areas have been chosen to identify good practice in providing support for children with SLCN through the joint working of organisations such as primary care trusts and local authorities. This will be used to develop a national framework to improve the way services are delivered for children across the country.
	Jean Gross was announced as the communication champion on 15 October 2009, and we have established the Communication Council, which met for the first time on 21 September 2009, to support initiatives to improve services for children with SLCN. As communication champion, Jean Gross will raise awareness of the importance of communication, share good practice and lead delivery of a national year of speech, language and communication.
	In addition, the University of Warwick has been selected to lead a consortium delivering a three-year, £1.5 million research programme on the cost-effectiveness of interventions and to guide the development of future policy and practice in providing services for children and young people with SLCN.
	12 organisations working to support children with alternative and augmentative communication needs have been chosen to share grants totalling £500,000 this year as part of BECTA's commitment to provide £1.5 million of funding over the next three years. These grants aim to support delivery and provision of services.

Families: Prison

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what programmes his Department has to support the families of those who are in prison;
	(2)  how many Sure Start children's centres have programmes in place to provide appropriate support for the families of those who are in prison.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department recognises that many children of offenders are vulnerable and is working closely with the Ministry of Justice and National Offender Management Service to meet their needs.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Ministry of Justice have just published (on 3 November 2009) a cross-government framework setting out recommended practice by local agencies and offender management services in identifying and supporting these families.
	We have significantly expanded funding for parenting and family support and have just announced indicative local authority allocations for 2010-11 totalling £89 million. Many of the projects delivered with this funding, such as family intervention projects, work with prisons and the probation service to support this group of families. The Department also directly funds a range of organisations such as Action For Prisoners' Families to deliver projects to support the families of offenders through the our third sector grant programmes.
	The Sure Start children's centres practice guidance highlights families with a parent in prison or known to be engaged in criminal activity among those vulnerable families for whom additional support should be available. It includes a separate section with good practice examples on how services can be tailored to meet the needs of partners and families of prisoners. Together for Children, the Department's delivery partner, have also produced a support product "Working Effectively with Families in Sure Start Children's Centres" which includes a checklist and links to resources to help centres working with families of prisoners and is available online at:
	http://www.childrens-centres.org/Topics/AllTfCSupportProducts.aspx#WorkingwithFamilies
	Information on how many Sure Start children's centres have programmes in place to provide appropriate support for families of those who are in prison is not collected centrally. Local authorities, working with their partners in children's trusts, are responsible for decisions on services to be delivered in children's centres in response to local needs and demands.

Learning and Skills Improvement Service: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding his Department is providing to the Learning and Skills Improvement Service in 2009-10; and what proportion this constitutes of the total budget of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service.

Vernon Coaker: In 2009-10 the Department for Business Innovation and Skills will receive funding from DCSF in respect of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service of £36.634 million, which represents 25 per cent. of the total LSIS income for that financial year.

Trust Schools

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Trust schools have been created since the entry into force of the Education and Inspections Act 2006; and how many such schools have  (a) more than one elected parent governor and  (b) a Parents' Council.

Vernon Coaker: To date 243 Trust schools (foundation schools with a foundation) that the Department has been advised of, have been established or acquired their trust under the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
	The Department does not hold records of the number of parent governors. Any Trust school with a foundation majority—where the Trust appoints the majority of governors to the Governing Body—must set up a Parent Council. Our records show that 15 schools have acquired this model so far.

Departmental Rail Travel

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on first class rail travel for officials in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Phil Hope: The Department has spent the following on first-class rail travel.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 5,377,271.00 
			 2005-06 4,101,667.18 
		
	
	It should be noted that the above figures represent travel booked through the central booking system which constitutes the vast majority of how travel is booked and paid for.

Direct Payments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people received payments under the direct payment scheme in each year since 2000; and how much was paid out in each such year;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on the direct payments scheme in each year since 2000.

Phil Hope: Financial data on the total running cost of the direct payments scheme is not collected centrally by the Department.
	However, the NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes information on the number of adults receiving direct payments provided by Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) and the gross current expenditure on these direct payments.
	The following table shows the number of adults (aged 18 and over) in receipt of direct payments and the total gross current expenditure by CASSRs in England on direct payments during the year from 2000-01 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  N umber of adults (aged 18 and over) in receipt of direct payments and the total gross current expenditure in England on direct payments during the year from 2000-01 to 2008-09 
			  Rounded numbers 
			  1  April to  31 March :  Clients in receipt of direct payments  Gross expenditure on direct payments (£000) 
			 2000-01 5,000 49,800 
			 2001-02 6,300 57,700 
			 2002-03 9,600 84,500 
			 2003-04 17,300 126,300 
			 2004-05(1) 24,500 192,300 
			 2005-06 37,400 274,200 
			 2006-07 48,500 356,700 
			 2007-08 66,800 452,500 
			 2008-09(2) 86,100 605,100 
			 (1) Data on the number of people receiving community based services from 2004-05 is not comparable to previous years. In 2004-05 restated guidance was issued to exclude people receiving services from grant funded organisations who had not had a community care assessment. (2) Data for 2008-09 is provisional.  Source: RAP P2f and PSS Ex1

Muscular Dystrophy: South East

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with what frequency a muscular dystrophy patient living within the area covered by the South East and Coastal Regional Health Authority should receive specialist physiotherapy.

Ann Keen: There is no recommended level of physiotherapy services—patients living with muscular dystrophy will have differing needs, and services should be provided based on an individual assessment of a patient's needs.
	However, the Department is aware of variations in service provision for those living with muscular dystrophy. We have therefore asked the national commissioning team to work with the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to run a workshop on best practice commissioning.

National Assistance Act 1948

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adults have received support under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 empowers local authorities to support people in residential and nursing care. Data on the number of adults—aged 18 and over—in local authority supported registered residential and nursing care is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care via the Supported Residents (SRI) return.
	Table 1 shows the numbers of adults—aged 18 and over—in local authority funded residential and nursing care, including numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives, as at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2005 in England.
	
		
			  Table 1: Total( 1)  number of clients aged 18 and over in receipt of local authority funded residential or nursing care as at 31 March, England 
			   Rounded number 
			   Total of all supported residents, England 
			 1997 242,100 
			 1998 255,500 
			 1999 260,700 
			 2000 265,400 
			 2001 261,800 
			 2002 264,800 
			 2003(2) 284,100 
			 2004(2, 3) 278,000 
			 2005(2, 3) 266,200 
			  Notes: (1) Includes people in voluntary and private registered residential, general and mental health nursing homes, adults in un-staffed homes and adult placements/Shared Lives. (2) Includes clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (3) Includes Boyd loophole residents.  Source: SRI Return, table S1. 
		
	
	From 2006, the numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives were collected separately. Table 2 shows the numbers of adults—aged 18 and over—in local authority funded residential and nursing care and numbers in adult placements/Shared Lives, as at 31 March for the years 2006 to 2008 in England. Information for 2009 is expected to be published in early 2010.
	
		
			  Table 2: Total( 1)  number of clients aged 18 and over in receipt of local authority funded residential or nursing care as at 31 March, England 
			   Rounded number 
			   Total of all supported residents( 1)  Total of all supported residents in registered( 2)  accommodation  Adult Placements/Shared lives 
			 2006(3, 4) 259,200 256,900 2,200 
			 2007(3, 4) 250,200 247,300 2,900 
			 2008(3, 4) 239,100 236,100 2,900 
			  Notes: (1) Includes people in voluntary and private registered residential, general and mental health nursing homes, adults in un-staffed homes and adult placements/Shared Lives. (2) Registered accommodation excludes adult placements/Shared Lives. These data were collected separately from 2006 onwards. (3) Includes clients formerly in receipt of preserved rights. (4) Includes Boyd loophole residents.  Source: SRI Return, table S1.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the  (a) assessment and  (b) funding proposals in the Social Care Green Paper are based solely on the level of need.

Phil Hope: In developing the Green Paper, the Department asked the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) to forecast the likely levels of need for care and support until 2026. The methodology used to do this was published by PSSRU in July 2009 at:
	www.pssru.ac.uk/pdf/dp2644.pdf
	The funding options look at different ways to bring money into the system to meet the forecasted levels of need. The different funding options consider both needs and means. The options under consideration are:
	Pay for yourself—where all individuals are responsible for meeting their own care costs. This was ruled out because it would leave many people without the care and support they need;
	Partnership—where everyone who qualified for care and support would be entitled to have a set proportion, for example a quarter or a third of their costs paid for by the state. People who were less well off would have more care paid for, while the least well off people would continue to get all their care free;
	Insurance—under which everyone would be entitled to have a share of their costs of their care and support met by the state but would go further to help people cover the additional costs of their care and support through insurance if they wanted to;
	Comprehensive—where everyone over retirement age who had the resources to do so would be required to pay into a state insurance scheme. Then everyone whose needs meant they qualified for care and support would get all of their basic care and support free when they needed it. It would be possible to vary how much people had to pay according to how much they could afford. The size of people's contribution could be set according to what savings or assets they had so that the system was affordable for people who were less well off; and
	Tax funded—where people would get all of their basic care free and would pay throughout their lives through tax. This was ruled out because it places a heavy burden on people of working age.

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department and its agencies  (a) he,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) officials of its agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The information requested is set out as follows:
	 Secretary of State
	I hosted one Christmas function in 2008. This was an event attended by approximately 50 members of the national media. The total cost of the function was £1,199.90 (excluding VAT). This expenditure included the provision of finger food and beverages, and the cost of staffing and equipment.
	I did not attend any Christmas functions arranged by the Ministry or its agencies other than the one I hosted above.
	 Officials at the Department and its agencies
	The Department and its agencies do not fund Christmas parties, although staff may personally contribute towards the cost of such an event.
	Attendance at and hosting of hospitality events, including Christmas parties, by Department and agency staff is recorded in local hospitality registers, in accordance with Ministry of Justice policy. This data is not collated centrally, and gathering information from local registers (including operational establishments) would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	Details of the Corporate Management Board hospitality register 2007, for hospitality received, has been published externally on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/civil_service/hospitality.aspx
	The hospitality register has not been updated for 2008 yet.
	At any time of year, awards may be made through the reward and recognition scheme in line with departmental guidelines for team celebrations, including modest parties.

Court Funds Office: Fees and Charges

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what fees and charges were covered by the reference to fees and charges levied by the Court Funds Office on page 96 of his Department's Resource Accounts 2008-09.

Bridget Prentice: The reference to fees and charges in the 2008-09 MoJ Resources Accounts is for accounting purposes. CFO has no statutory ability to charge fees to its clients.
	As set out on page 97 of the 2008-09 MoJ Resource Accounts, the CFO generally recovers the full cost of operations from the UK Debt Management Office each year on a reimbursement basis, in accordance with the Administration of Justice Act 1982. The large surplus in 2008-09 has arisen because of a change in the basis on which income is recognised from cash to accruals. The income reflects £7.5 million in relation to costs incurred in 2007-08 and £5.8 million in relation to costs incurred in 2008-09. In future, fees and expenditure will be on the same basis and will be aligned.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: Since 1999, the Government have published a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500 which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx
	The Ministry's accounting system does not separately identify the amount spent on overnight accommodation overseas. These costs are subsumed within the broader category of "overseas travel and subsistence" which includes travel and meals as well as accommodation costs, and includes costs incurred by Ministers as well as officials. Expenditure on this 'wider' category of expenditure in the first two financial years of the Ministry's existence, rounded to the nearest £000, is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2008-09 420 
			 2007-08 524 
		
	
	These figures exclude the 42 local probation boards and trusts as this information is held locally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	All overseas travel and subsistence is completed in line with the Staff Pay and Allowances Handbook, which states that all travel and accommodation should be by the most economical means possible, bearing in mind business need.

National Victims Service

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions he has had on the effectiveness of the National Victims Service; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: On 29 September at the Labour party conference I announced my intention to create a national victims' service. I and my officials have discussed the development of the national victims' service with a range of partners including: Gillian Guy, chief executive of Victim Support, the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police and Sara Payne, the Victims' Champion. This service is currently being developed and the effectiveness of the service in meeting victims' needs will be core to its development.

Prisons: Drugs

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) adult prisons and  (b) young offender institutions (i) had a body orifice security scanner (BOSS) chair and (ii) were using a BOSS chair on 1 June 2009; and how many discoveries of (A) illegal drugs and (B) mobile telephones had been made using those chairs on the latest date for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: I have today issued a written ministerial statement to clarify details around the roll-out of the BOSS chairs. NOMS has now purchased and delivered at least one BOSS chair to every prison that did not already have one (five extra BOSS chairs were purchased for prisons with split sites)—128 in total. This includes the female, open and contracted estate, and nine prisons which have a main function as a young offenders' institution. Immigration removal centres were not included, as the use of mobile phones is not prohibited in those sites.
	NOMS headquarters have not mandated how BOSS chairs must be used. As is the case for many searching technologies and techniques, the decision on how to use the BOSS chairs is for individual Governors to make, and will depend on their local circumstances, including their existing local searching strategies. The relevant Prison Service Instruction (PSI) states: "The frequency of searches using the BOSS and policies for its use are for local discretion".
	The pattern of use will vary over time and it is not possible to say how many BOSS chairs are operational on any given day. According to a recent survey of BOSS chair usage, 115 prisons reported that the BOSS chair was in use. Reasons for non-operation include chairs awaiting repair or return from repairs and awaiting building work to accommodate the chair. Steps have been taken to improve the .provision of maintenance services. Prisons deploy hand-held detection wands as an effective alternative.
	NOMS does not hold records centrally of the number of mobile phones discovered using the BOSS chair. In order to provide the information requested, we would need to contact all Prison Service establishments, ask them to check their local records and to submit this information to headquarters. This would incur disproportionate cost. BOSS chairs are not designed to detect illegal drugs.

Shoplifting: Convictions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions there were for shoplifting in each of the last three years.

Jack Straw: Information showing the number of defendants found guilty at all courts for stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) in England and Wales from 2005 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the table. Data for 2008 are planned for publication at the end of January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for shoplifting( 1) , England and Wales, 2005 to 2007( 2,3) 
			  Offence  Statute  2005  2006  2007 
			 Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) Theft  Act 1968  Section 1 64,076 58,536 62,565 
			 (1)Stealing from "shops and stalls" (shoplifting) is an offence under Theft Act 1968, section 1.  (2)The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3)Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Evidence and Analysis Unit—Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

Supreme Court: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees there are in the new Supreme Court; and what their total wage bill is for 2009-10.

Jack Straw: There are 39 employees of the Supreme Court. The total pay wage bill for the first six months of the Court (October 2009 to March 2010) is £910,000. This figure is inclusive of ERNIC (earnings-related national insurance contributions) and ASLC (liability charges, including pension contributions).

Supreme Court: Costs

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the salary is of the Chief Executive of the new Supreme Court.

Jack Straw: The salary of the chief executive of the Supreme Court is £107,000 per annum.

Young Offender Institutions

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the monetary value of the  (a) fixed and  (b) working capital contained in (i) prisons and (ii) young offender institutions (A) in total and (B) per person in custody in each case; and what methodology is used to calculate the values of land and buildings for these purposes.

Maria Eagle: Calculations for  (a) fixed capital and  (b) working capital are not produced for Prisons or Young Offender Institutions because the main financial ledgers (bank, accounts payable and accounts receivable) are held centrally. As a result we cannot give estimates per person in custody either. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS accounts for 2008-09 have been prepared in accordance with the 2008-09 Government Financial Reporting Manual (FReM) issued by HM Treasury, and the Accounts Direction issued by HM Treasury. The accounting policies in the FReM follow UK generally accepted accounting policies for companies (UK GAAP) to the extent that it is meaningful and appropriate to the public sector.
	In accordance with accounting standards the custodial estate was subject to external revaluation at 31 March 2009. Land and Buildings relating to the custodial estate were valued by the Valuation Office Agency at £5.2 billion. Prisons are valued at depreciated replacement cost adopting where appropriate alternative site locations. The valuation was in accordance with the RICS Valuation Standards 6th Edition.
	The NOMS Accounts for 2008-09 show details of fixed and working capital at total NOMS level and Note 7 provides full details of the most recent valuation of the land and buildings. A copy of the accounts is available in the House of Commons Library.

Energy Supply

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Government's latest estimate is of the  (a) date and  (b) level of peak global production of (i) oil, (ii) gas, (iii) coal and (iv) uranium-235.

David Kidney: The Government do not estimate global resources. Data are available from a range of publications—the International Energy Agency (hereafter IEA) is an authoritative source. The Government do, however, publish the Energy Markets Outlook, an annual report on UK Security of Supply, which includes discussion of longer term availability of fuels.
	Domestically, the UK has only recently passed an ambitious Climate Change Act and DECC has recently published the UK low carbon transition plan. Our climate change and energy security policies outlined there are not only reducing the UK's carbon emissions, but are consistent with the need to reduce our use of fossil fuels. In addition, the Government are reforming the regulatory framework for planning and consents through the Energy and Planning Acts 2008, which will help to improve the security of our energy supplies.
	For information, the following provides information on future supplies for each fuel.
	 (i) Oil
	The IEA's view(1) is that there are reserves to meet demand at least through to 2030, if sufficient investment in production capacity is forthcoming. Thus the immediate risk to oil production is not the level of resources and reserves, but the world's ability to convert these reserves into production now and in the long run. The UK recognises that tight oil markets could lead to high and volatile oil prices with potential negative effects on the economy.
	 (ii) Gas
	As with oil, the IEA foresees that gas reserves are more than sufficient to meet demand to 2030, with remaining reserves more than doubling since 1980, and by more than 15 per cent. for every year since 2000. Moreover, despite rising annual production, new discoveries presently exceeded production. The IEA therefore forecasts that production will be able to meet the growth in demand until at least 2030.
	 (iii) Coal
	According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change's December 2008 Energy Market Outlook, coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in terms of reserves. These reserves are geographically well dispersed, with economically recoverable reserves in more than 70 countries worldwide. The IEA similarly suggests that there are more than enough coal reserves to meet the growth in global demand until 2030. However, sufficient investment will be needed in new mining projects and prospecting.
	 (iv) Nuclear
	The OECD/NEA and IAEA collates information about uranium resources and publishes a comprehensive report(2) every two years. The OECD/NEA concluded in a forward looking report on nuclear energy in November 2008(3) that identified uranium resources are sufficient to fuel an expansion of global nuclear generating capacity, without reprocessing, at least until 2050. Based on regional geological data, resources that are expected to exist could increase uranium supply to several hundreds of years.
	 References:
	(1) As outlined in their World Energy Outlook 2008 (published in November 2008). Any references to the IEA are taken from this publication.
	(2) The most recent report was published in June 2008. Uranium 2007: Resources, Production and Demand ("The Red Book").
	(3) Nuclear Energy Outlook. OECD/NEA, November 2008.

Energy: Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what change in average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) ratings of  (a) all and  (b) new-build housing stock in England has been achieved in each SAP band A to G in each year since 2005; what assessment he has made of how the actual energy rating of new-build houses corresponds with that predicted by their developers; what representations he has received on the post-build level of energy efficiency in new-build houses; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The English House Condition Survey reports annually on the energy efficiency of the housing stock as a whole. The proportion of housing in England in each energy efficiency rating band between 2005 and 2007 (the latest estimates available) are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing stock (England) by energy efficiency rating band, 2005 to 2007 
			   Band A/B  Band C  Band D  Band E  Band F  Band G 
			 2005 0.1 6.8 27.7 41.7 19.3 4.4 
			 2006 0.2 7.0 29.8 41.3 17.5 4.3 
			 2007 0.2 7.7 33.0 39.9 15.3 4.0 
			  Note:  The rating bands are based on the energy efficiency (SAP) rating with band A indicating the most efficient and band G the least efficient housing. The number of dwellings in band A is too small for the sample survey to provide a robust estimate and therefore bands A and B have been combined.  Source:  English House Condition Survey. 
		
	
	The proportion of housing in more energy efficient bands A to D increased from 35 per cent. to 41 per cent. of the whole stock over this period. Over the same period, the proportion in the less efficient bands F and G fell from 24 per cent. to 19 per cent.
	In line with procedure for the publication of official statistics, the data for the average SAP rating of new-build housing is being published on 10 November.
	The Department recently completed a joint project with the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPfH) looking at compliance levels for new homes built to the standards required by the 2006 amendment of Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations. Two reports have been published at the EEPfH website at
	www.eeph.org.uk.
	The Department has received representations from a range of interests about compliance with the Building Regulations.

Microgeneration: Government Assistance

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to promote on-site micro-generation projects.

Joan Ruddock: The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) is our £131 million grant programme offering funding for small scale onsite energy technologies to householders, public, community and not-for profit-sectors.
	Phase 1 (currently open to householders) was recently extended from 1 July 2010 until March 2011 with an additional budget of £1 million for 2009-10 and £5 million for 2010-11. To date Phase 1 of the programme has committed £24.6 million to 12,175 projects.
	Phase 2 of the programme (community, public/non profit sector)—has already allocated over £62 million to 2,851 projects. This part of the programme was also extended from 1 July 2009 until 30 March 2011 with a budget of £39 million for 2009-10 and £10 million for 2010-11. The extension will continue to provide grant funding to charitable, community groups and public sector organisation projects.
	Working with the Energy Saving Trust (EST) we are publicising the Phase 1 householder funding stream through a network of local energy advice centres providing information and the Act on CO2 website and helpline to inform and assist consumers.
	We will shortly be implementing a promotional campaign for Phase 2 through a series of 'road shows' and presentations in all English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—raising awareness of the fact that organisations can apply for 50 per cent. of the cost for installing approved technologies up to a maximum of £200,000 per application. We hope to see as many projects as possible coming forward to achieve their ambitions and install small scale onsite technologies.
	Planning regulations for domestic small scale renewable energy installations which have little or no impact beyond the host property have been relaxed and we have introduced the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) providing improved consumer confidence in the quality and reliability of microgeneration products and installations.
	We have enhanced incentives to install microgeneration technologies with increased support through the Renewables Obligation (which places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources). Going forward, two new financial incentives will have a real impact on pushing small scale onsite energy technologies into the forefront of our energy future. Feed-in tariffs for electricity will act as a major incentive for the development of the market up to 5 MW, and we are working to have feed-in tariffs in place in April 2010.
	Our Renewable Heat Incentive or payments for every kilowatt of renewable heat produced will be one of the world's first financial mechanisms to support renewable heat technologies. Like the feed-in tariffs, our aim is to make the RHI as accessible, flexible and user-friendly as possible to potential investors in renewable heat at all scales, from the household scale up to the large industrial scale.

Renewable Energy

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the relative costs and benefits of  (a) photovoltaic tiles and  (b) wind turbines.

David Kidney: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The analysis underpinning Renewable Energy Strategy, published in July 2009, used assumptions on the generating costs of different electricity generating technologies to 2020, full details of which are set out in Element (2009) and Redpoint/Trilemma (2009), which are available on the DECC website. The following table summarises these assumptions with respect to solar photovoltaic and wind generation in 2009.
	
		
			  Technology (source)  Capital expenditure (£/kW)  Operating expenditure (£/kW/year)  Load factor (percentage)  Technology life (years) 
			 Solar photovoltaics up to 5000kW in size (Element, 2009) 4,000-5,300 20-44 ~10 25 
			 Wind 15kW to 5000kW in size (Element, 2009) 1,500-3,000 44-74 2-32 10-20 
			 Onshore wind large-scale (Redpoint/Trilemma, 2009) 1,172-1,329 40 21-29 20 
			 Offshore wind (Redpoint/Trilemma, 2009) 2,159-3,036 68 35-41 20 
		
	
	Wind generation in the UK generally faces lower capital costs and higher operating costs than solar photovoltaic generation.
	Each unit of energy from new wind and photovoltaic installations are assumed to replace an equivalent supply of conventional electricity generation. The conventional electricity would be produced at a lower generation cost, and wind and photovoltaic generation thus impose a resource cost on the UK economy.
	However, both wind and photovoltaic generation involve very low level of carbon dioxide emissions over their lifetimes. By replacing conventional electricity generation, wind and photovoltaics reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector, and thus a unit of energy from either creates the same carbon-related benefits through reducing the number of EU Allowances for greenhouse gas emissions the UK electricity sector has to buy within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (or increasing the number to sell). Other costs and benefits of renewables deployment, such as those relating to security of supply and the wider economy, are considered in the impact assessment for the Renewable Energy Strategy.
	Both wind and solar photovoltaics are expected to play important roles in achieving the UK's 2020 renewables target.

Afghanistan: Drugs

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government has spent on counter-narcotics work in Afghanistan in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: Before 2004, the UK did not have a dedicated counter-narcotics (CN) programme in Afghanistan; projects targeting the drugs trade were funded from other programmes.
	In 2005, the Afghan drugs interdepartmental unit was created to manage the UK's increasing counter-narcotics effort. Since then, UK expenditure on the CN programme in Afghanistan has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 46.8 
			 2006-07 45.8 
			 2007-08 43.8 
			 2008-09 49.2 
			 2009-10 (1)36.7 
			 (1) Forecast figure. 
		
	
	The majority of this funding is drawn from the FCO's Strategic Programme Fund.
	CN is a crucial component of our counter-insurgency effort. Our CN programme includes support for the interdiction and prosecution of major drug traffickers and the provision of alternative livelihoods for farmers, including support to Governor Mangal's Helmand Counter-Narcotics campaign. There have been some successes. In September, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed a 22 per cent. decrease in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan in 2008—including a 33 per cent. reduction in Helmand. This builds on last year's success, when UNODC recorded a 19 per cent. fall in cultivation. Growing Afghan law enforcement capacity is increasingly having an impact on corruption and on the insurgency, with steady increases in the number of significant drug traffickers convicted and the amount of drugs seized.

Colombia: Trade Unions

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of convictions secured in cases where trade unionists in Colombia have disappeared.

Chris Bryant: Many vulnerable groups, including trade unionists, face constant violence and intimidation in Colombia. Every murder, threat or forced disappearance of a trade unionist or human rights defender is one too many. We call on the Colombian Government to do everything they can to ensure that those in Colombia who fight to defend human rights are able to do their work safely and without fear, and that the perpetrators of crimes against them are pursued and held accountable for their actions.
	The level of impunity in Colombia is of real concern which is why the UK has committed £250,000 to projects to help tackle this particular problem.

Departmental Publicity

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money his Department has spent on the Know Before You Go campaign in each year since its inception in 2001.

Chris Bryant: Spending on the Know Before You Go campaign since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001-02 754,939.00 
			 2002-03 616,447.00 
			 2003-04 811,819.00 
			 2004-05 683,900 
			 2005-06 940,570 
			 2006-07 924,000 
			 2007-08 1,132,768 
			 2008-09 1,494,126 
		
	
	The know Before You Go campaign is self-funded by a percentage of the revenue generated from passport sales. The Know Before You campaign (KBYG) is evaluated on a six monthly basis to ensure that targets are being met and that we are getting value for money. In 2008-09, the Know Before You Go campaign achieved a return on investment of 20:1 (against a target of 6:1). Through media campaigns in 2008-09, 64 per cent. of all UK adults were reached an average of 2.3 times a month.

Honduras: Human Rights

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department takes to monitor the human rights situation in Honduras.

Chris Bryant: We are concerned about reports of human rights violations in the Honduras since the political crisis began in June—in particular the growing restrictions imposed on the Honduran population since President Zelaya's return to Tegucigalpa on 21 September 2009
	We continue to monitor the situation through discussions with those EU Partners who have embassies in Tegucigalpa and with UK-based non-governmental organisations operating in Honduras. UK officials from our embassy in Guatemala City have visited Tegucigalpa periodically since the crisis began, most recently between 21 September and 2 October 2009. A Mission representing the Organisation of American States Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited Honduras last month. We await the report of their visit.
	We hope that the signing, by representatives of President Zelaya and the de facto government, of an accord on 30 October will lead to the establishment of a power sharing government, and a return to full democratic, constitutional order and respect for human rights in the country.

Syria

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has made an assessment of the conditions in which Kamal al-Labwani is being detained in Syria; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he has received reports on the disappearance of human rights lawyer Haythem al-Maleh in Syria on 17 October 2009; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent assessment he has made of Syria's record on human rights, with particular reference to  (a) civil and  (b) political rights; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what recent reports he has received on  (a) numbers of people detained by the Syrian government and  (b) compliance by the Syrian government with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in respect of such people;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the EU-Syria Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement in relation to Syria's human rights record; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  by what mechanisms the EU-Syria Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement may be suspended in circumstances in which human rights violations are identified.

David Miliband: Syria's human rights record is a cause for concern. In the past year we have seen a worrying deterioration. Critics of the Government, including those who call for peaceful democratic reform, and some individuals who have posted dissenting comments on internet blogs, have been imprisoned. Disappearances, travel bans and arbitrary detention are increasingly common. There are reports of torture during interrogation and deaths in police custody. We do not know how many people are in detention but we continue to press Syria to abide by its international obligations on human rights.
	I share the hon. Member's concern about the continued imprisonment of Dr. Labwani. He is currently held in Adra prison in Damascus in the same conditions as other prisoners, which are poor and involve sharing a cell. Dr. Labwani also suffers from serious medical condition which, given his medical expertise, he is reportedly treating himself having managed to obtain the necessary medication.
	I am also concerned at the recent arrest of lawyer Haythem al-Maleh and, as we made clear in a Foreign and Commonwealth Office press statement on 19 October 2009, we call on the Syrian Government to release him.
	I have raised my concerns with the Syrian Foreign Minister. Our embassy in Damascus, working with other EU missions, continues to press the Syrians to improve conditions in general as well as raising the cases of Dr. al-Labwani, Mr. al-Maleh and others of concern.
	When the EU-Syria Association Agreement is in force, we will ensure that we use the dialogue established to press for action. Respect for human rights is an essential element of the agreement. The agreement provides that where a party considers that the other party is in breach of it obligations under the agreement it may take appropriate measures which could include suspension or termination of the Association Agreement.

Business: South West

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in each location in the South West have received assistance from the South West Regional Development Agency's small business loan fund; and how much on average each such business received.

Rosie Winterton: South West RDA facilitated the formation of the South West Loans Fund which is funded jointly by South West RDA and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) monies. In the first six months of operation, nine businesses have received assistance (three in Cornwall; two in Devon; two in Somerset; one in Wiltshire and one in Bristol). The average level of grant provided is £107,089. A further five offers of finance are in place with an average value of £84,000.
	The fund provides loans to growth or growth potential businesses in the South West which have viable business proposals but who are unable to secure all the finance they need from traditional commercial finance sources.

Construction: Government Assistance

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what financial support the Government have offered to the construction industry during the current economic downturn; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the construction industry to the economy; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps the Government are taking to support the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Lucas: The Government recognise the importance of the Construction Industry to the economy. In 2007 the construction industry, including contracting, products and services, accounted for 9 per cent. of GVA. Construction contracting by itself contributed 6 per cent. of GVA. These figures are based on the Annual Business inquiry published by ONS in June 2009, which is the latest data source the Department has at hand. The public sector is especially important to the construction industry. Some 30 per cent. of all construction work is procured by the public sector, rising to 40 per cent. if PFI projects are included.
	In order to help preserve jobs and skills, at the time of the 2008 pre-Budget report the Government announced that it was bringing forward £3 billion of capital expenditure from financial year 2010-11 to financial years 2008-09 and 2009-10, to be spent on motorways, schools, GPs' surgeries, flood defences and improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock.
	In addition, in the Budget the Chancellor announced a £600 million cash injection for the housing market to help kick-start stalled projects and to build more energy efficient homes, including £50 million to modernise armed forces' accommodation.
	The Construction Industry like other sectors has benefited from the Government's recapitalisation of the banks and the restoration of stability to the financial sector. The UK is the first country in the world to have negotiated legally binding lending commitments with banks receiving state support, and both RBS and the Lloyd's Banking Group have committed to additional net lending over the next 12 months.
	The Construction Industry is dominated by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. Like other sectors of the economy, the industry has benefited from the Government's "Real Help for Business Now" initiative, including:
	The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme: enabling banks to lend an extra £1.3 billion to small and medium-sized businesses with viable business plans that can not access normal commercial lending;
	Extra lending capacity: made available through the European Investment Bank;
	The Working Capital Scheme: provides guarantees to banks for existing business lending, so freeing up more capital for new loans;
	Up to six months' Trade Credit Insurance Top-Up, backed by the Government and available for businesses where cover has been reduced due to the recession.
	The Government would shortly appoint a Chief Construction Adviser to lead the low carbon review of the Construction Industry to ensure the industry is "fit for purpose" for delivering a low carbon future. The Chief Construction Adviser will also chair a new Construction Category Board, which will build on the work of the existing Public Sector Construction Clients Forum, to oversee the implementation and further the development of best value in Government construction procurement.

Departmental Internet

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 116W, on departmental internet, what Twitter accounts are maintained by his Department; and what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining and updating each such account in 2009-10.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills manages three Twitter accounts: @bisgovuk; @digitalbritain; and @BIS_Science
	The estimated cost of staff time in maintaining and updating all three accounts is £3,175 a year. The task is the shared responsibility of the Department's Digital Communications team as part of their overall range of duties and the total effort is estimated as half an hour per day. No staff are assigned to Twitter work specifically.

East of England Development Agency: Consultants

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 574W, on the East of England Development Agency: Fishburn Hedges, how much the East of England Development Agency has paid to external public relations, public affairs and marketing agencies in each year since its establishment; to which firms such payments were made; for what services each such payment was made; and what the value was of each such payment.

Rosie Winterton: The following table gives a full breakdown of payments to external public relations, marketing and public affairs agencies made since 2002.(1)
	EEDA has an in-house team that manage the corporate communications of EEDA. However, we do use agencies to provide support across EEDA's wide range of activities and services on a project basis. This is to help publicise EEDA's full range of support services to businesses in the region, support major campaigns to promote services and products and assist in production of key publications including the Regional Economic Strategy (RES). The majority of the agencies used provide marketing support.
	(1) 2002 is the earliest we are able to provide a fall breakdown from. Please note, these figures have been extracted from financial records and are excluding VAT.
	
		
			  Supplier name  2002 / 03 (£)  2003 / 04 (£)  2004 / 05 (£)  2005 / 06 (£)  2006 / 07 (£)  2007 / 08 (£)  2008 / 09 (£)  Service 
			 Band & Brown (formerly Barker Johnson Peal) 17,400 7,050 39,235 26,164 734 — — Marketing support for EEDA's business support campaigns and regional promotion. 
			 Black Orchid Marketing Ltd. — — — — 15,265 — — Marketing support for major business event. 
			 Camargue — — 12,604 43,849 — — — Marketing support for business support campaign 
			 Communications Management — — — — 87,574 200,583 323,828 Marketing support for development of major business campaigns including TakeITon - an IT support campaign, Business finance products including Grants for Research and Development and other business support products 
			 Different Advertising Ltd. 196,525 88,615 — — — — — Marketing support for regional advertising campaign 
			 Direct Approach Design & Marke 10,545 — — 280 — — — Marketing support for EEDA publications including annual reports 
			 Fishburn Hedges — — 30,107 110,511 224,818 61,153 66,444 Public affairs and project specific marketing support including major business support event 
			 Flag Communication Ltd. — — — — 8,285 10,765  Marketing and writing support for EEDA publications 
			 IF Communications — — — — — — 10,000 Marketing support for business support campaign 
			 John Turner Direct Marketing — 70 133 14,631 16,832 25,943 24,320 Marketing support for mailings to businesses and public partners 
			 Lillian May Design — — — 27,237 43,485 4,570  Marketing support for EEDA publications 
			 Linstock Communications Ltd. — — — 47,822 105,614 156,965 60,224 Marketing support for EEDA's spatial economy programme including transport and regional cities east 
			 Markettiers 4DC — — — — — 9,075 — Marketing support for Running the Gauntlet business campaign 
			 Media Communications — — — — 10,609 6,294 9,501 Marketing support for EEDA publications, business support and carbon cutting campaign 
			 Media Matters 23,288 100 — — — — — Marketing support 
			 Milk no Sugar — 2,750 — — — — — Regional marketing support 
			 Mission 21 — 30,228 — — — — — PR support for regional ideas campaign 
			 Nexus — — 37,599 — — — — Marketing support 
			 Omobono Ltd. 288,201 301,849 339,778 188,000 — 903 1,242 Marketing support for various business support campaigns, including Demand Broadband 
			 Poulsen Selleck — — — — — 6,795 108,433 Marketing support for production of RES, Insight East intelligence centre and Business Map campaign to help simplify business support 
			 Project PR — 32,186 1,900 — — — — PR and media relations support 
			 Proof Communications — — — — — — 3,147 Writing support for EEDA website 
			 Red Hat Creative Limited — — — — 20,738 44,564 20,570 Writing support for business campaigns 
			 Sherry Design Limited — — — 8,094 6,041 — — Marketing support for Regional Cities East 
			 Shorthose Russell — — — 72,402 49,679 41,094 — Marketing support for promotion of EU funding opportunities 
			 Smith UK Ltd. — — — — — 24,479 9,498 Marketing support for production of the RES and annual report 
			 Taylor-made Communications — — — — 20,000 40,150 4,800 Writing support 
			 WAR — — 11,500 — — — — Marketing support for international business services 
			 Total 535,958 462,848 472,124 555,979 535,958 780,475 642,007  
			 Grand total 3,985,349.66

Further Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the adult further education budget managed by the Learning and Skills Council in 2009-10 is planned to be allocated to  (a) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses,  (b) adult first Level 2 and adult first Level 3 courses,  (c) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses for 19 to 24 year olds and  (d) adult Level 3 and adult first Level 3 courses for 19 to 24 year olds.

Kevin Brennan: The Learning and Skills Council Grant Letter 2009-10 sent in November 2008 sets out planned expenditure across our funding priorities based on estimated volumes of activity.
	A copy of this letter is available publicly at the following address:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/~/media/publications/L/LSC_GRANT_LETTER_ FINAL_18_NOV
	Estimated spend for all adults in 2009-10, through the Adult Learner Responsive (ALR) budget is £259 million for full level 2 qualifications and £379 million for full level 3 qualifications.
	Within the ALR budget we provide full funding for adults to gain their first full level 2 and full level 3 (for those aged 19 to 25 years) qualification so that they do not have to pay course fees.
	The actual amount spent at each level and on particular age groups will depend on learner and throughout the year.

Research: Energy

Andrew Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to research into fusion energy in each of the last five years; and how much funding he plans to allocate for such purposes in each of the next five years.

David Lammy: The Government provide support for nuclear fusion research in the UK through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The EPSRC funding for fusion research over the last five years was:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004/05 19.4 
			 2005/06 17.3 
			 2006/07 22.3 
			 2007/08 21.7 
			 2008/09 32.6 
		
	
	Funding in 2009/10 is expected to total about £25 million. Funding for subsequent years will depend on the outcome of spending reviews and the quality of science case proposals.
	Euratom also fund fusion research in the UK through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The UK also contributes indirectly to the Euratom European fusion research programme through its payments to the EU budget.

Royal Mail: Pay

Colin Burgon: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average bonus paid to Royal Mail staff at the lowest grade was in 2008.

Patrick McFadden: Under Royal Mail's Colleague Share scheme, each Royal Mail staff member received a stakeholder dividend payment of £400 in 2008/09. The total cost of payments under the scheme was £70 million.
	Royal Mail staff were also eligible to receive local productivity bonuses. My Department does not hold this information and I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to reply to you direct. A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Students: Grants

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students have received provisional payments in advance of full student support payments from Student Finance England in  (a) the 2009/10 academic year and  (b) each of the five previous years.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company has released figures to show the levels of processing and payment of Student Support in England for the 2009/10 academic year. The information is available on the Student Loans Company website and includes information on "applications approved with interim assessment".
	The figures for new and returning students in this category stand at 35,000 as at 25 October 2009.
	Some changes to the way applications are processed have been introduced for the 2009/10 application processing cycle which means there is no comparable data for the previous five years.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people in each age group resident in  (a) each local authority area in the North West and  (b) England had not repaid their student loan at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Lammy: Borrowers become liable to repay their loans in the April after they leave their course (the statutory repayment due date, SRDD). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those liable to repay who have not yet made a repayment will include borrowers whose earnings are below the repayment threshold, have gone on to further study or are doing voluntary work.
	The tables cover income contingent loan borrowers past SRDD with a known repayment or non-repayment position by whether or not they have made a repayment.
	Tables containing the requested information have been placed in the Library.

Students: Loans

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been deducted in student loan repayments from the salaries of individuals in each income group resident in  (a) each local authority area in the North West and  (b) England in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Deductions from salaries are made when the borrower's income is above £15,000 per year, £1,250 per month or £288 per week. A borrower who starts work late in the tax year on an annual salary above £15,000 will have deductions made but may have earnings during the tax year of less than £15,000.
	Tables containing the requested information have been placed in the Library.

Train to Gain Programme

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the Train to Gain budget managed by the Learning and Skills Council in 2009-10 is planned to be allocated to  (a) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses,  (b) adult first Level 2 and adult first Level 3 courses,  (c) adult Level 2 and adult first Level 2 courses for 19 to 24 year olds and  (d) adult Level 3 and adult first Level 3 courses for 19 to 24 year olds.

Kevin Brennan: The Grant Letter to the Learning and Skills Council for 2009-10 sent in November 2008 sets out planned expenditure across our funding priorities based on estimated volumes of activity.
	A copy of this letter is available publicly at the following address:
	http://www.dius.gov.uk/news_and_speeches/press_releases/~/media/publications/L/LSC_GRANT_LETTER_FINAL_19-NOV
	Estimated spend for all adults in 2009-10 through Train to Gain is £626 million on full level 2 and £161 million on full level 3 qualifications. Funding through Train to Gain is prioritised on supporting adults in employment to gain basic literacy and numeracy skills, full level 2 and full level 3 qualifications. For 2009-10 in response to the economic downturn we have provided increased flexibilities for small and medium sized enterprises to support retraining through access to funding for units and part qualifications in areas described as business critical by Sector Skills Councils.
	The actual amount spent at each level and on particular age groups will depend on learner and employer demand throughout the year.

Vocational Training: Finance

David Taylor: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of guidance issued by the Learning and Skills Council to participants in the Train to Gain scheme enquiring about their use of funds for the 2009-10 contract; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 16 September 2009
	 The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is responsible for issuing national funding guidance to providers for each academic year, setting out the rules and principles for funding through Train to Gain. Guidance for 2009/10 was issued on 23 January, and is regularly updated. The latest version is available on the LSC website.
	Geoff Russell, the chief executive of the LSC, sent letters to all Train to Gain—contracted providers on 19 June, informing them of their funding and contract arrangements for the 2009/10 academic year. Since then, regional and local LSC partnership teams have been working closely with individual providers to finalise their contract documentation, including maximum contract values.
	In addition, the LSC publishes regular guidance to employers and learners who access Train to Gain, including information on new flexibilities, funding that may be available and where to go for further information. This guidance is also available on the LSC website.